Differential impact of COVID-19 lockdown on physical activity in younger and older adolescents - prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Insufficient physical activity levels (PAL) during adolescence is a major public health concern, which is even more pronounced during the COVID-19 pandemic due to restricting movement opportunities. This study aimed to identify PAL changes and examine the age-specific determinants of PAL in younger and older adolescents during the COVID-19 lockdown. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study included 859 high-school students from Bosnia and Herzegovina stratified into 2 age groups: younger (N = 420, 14-16 years of age), and older adolescents (N = 439, 16-18 years of age). Participants were tested over 2 testing waves: before the COVID-19 lockdown (January 2020) and during the COVID-19 lockdown (April 2020). Variables included PAL assessed by the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents, sports factors, and parental factors. RESULTS: The PAL significantly declined as a result of lockdown measures in the total sample (from 2.76±0.79 to 2.50±0.82). Larger absolute and relative decline of PAL was evidenced in younger adolescents. Sport participation positively influenced PAL before lockdown, with no significant influence during the lockdown. Older adolescents whose mothers were better educated were less likely to be in high risk group with regard to a large decline of PAL as a result of COVID lockdown (OR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.21-0.84). CONCLUSIONS: Results of the study suggest that parental education influences health-related behaviors and that parental education is a protective factor against a decrease in PAL during the COVID-19 pandemic. Main educational agents (i.e., school and parents) should pay more attention to provide children and adolescents adequate information and develop their health literacy, which will hopefully positively impact children's PAL even in challenging situations similar to COVID-19 lockdown. Med Pr. 2021;72(6):633-43.

Mental Health and Self-Esteem of Active Athletes.

INTRODUCTION: Systematic and continuous physical exercise of certain intensity and volume is irreplaceable in the stages of growth and development and in preventing impairments of the biological, functional and health state of the human organism.Many studies show that physical exercise contributes to development and reinforcement of mental health and increases self-esteem. Examine mental health and self-esteem of active athletes. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The subjects of the study are active athletes from Herzegovina and students of the Faculty of Health Studies in Mostar. Mental health and self-esteem were measured by a sociodemographic questionnaire, The Symptom Checklist-90 and the Satisfaction With Life Scale. RESULTS: There is a statistically significant difference in the frequency of exercise, active athletes have the highest percentage (100%) and state that they exercise often (almost every day) while university students have a significantly lower percentage (20%).Students scored significantly higher on the subscales for somatization, obsessive - compulsive symptoms, interpersonal vulnerability, depression, anxiety, aggression, phobia, and paranoia than active athletes. Active athletes have statistically higher scores for almost all the claims of the subjective assessment of life satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Active athletes showed significantly less psychological symptoms and better mental health, greater life satisfaction and higher self-esteem than students of the Faculty of Health Studies in Mostar.

Effects of 6 Weeks of Different High-Intensity Interval and Moderate Continuous Training on Aerobic and Anaerobic Performance.

Cavar, M, Marsic, T, Corluka, M, Culjak, Z, Cerkez Zovko, I, Müller, A, Tschakert, G, and Hofmann, P. Effects of 6 weeks of different high-intensity interval and moderate continuous training on aerobic and anaerobic performance. J Strength Cond Res 33(1): 44-56, 2019-To provide practical data, we compared the training effects of 3 different programs, using a shuttle run stimulus, on aerobic and anaerobic performance, measured using the 20-m maximal shuttle run (Beep) test and 300-yd shuttle run, respectively. Forty-five physically trained men, with a mean age of 21.1 ± 1.8 years, participated. The 6-week, 12-session training programs included 2 high-intensity interval training (HIIT) protocols, with either a short (SH) or long (LH) shuttle run interval, and a continuous shuttle run (CON), which was used as a control. The training intensity was based on the maximal shuttle run speed (MASS), measured on the Beep test, to elicit the relevant values of the time to exhaustion (TTE). Short (SH) training was performed at 115-120%(MASS), with a 10-second work to 10-second rest scheme, and the number of repetitions to be completed set to 70% of each participant's maximum (∼15 repetitions). LH training was performed at an intensity of 90-95%(MASS), with the duration set to 70%(TTE) (∼4 minutes). For both SH and LH, 3 sets were completed at each session, with a 2-3 minutes of rest between sets. CON training consisted of continuous shuttle running for 35 minutes at an intensity of 70%(MASS). Both SH and LH yielded a large training effect (p < 0.01), with SH preferentially improving anaerobic performance and LH preferentially improving aerobic performance. No effect of CON training was identified. Our findings indicate that these different training protocols cannot be used interchangeably and that the Beep test is useful in prescribing the intensity and duration of HIIT.