The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has significantly limited social contacts, thus contributing to deepening isolation. Therefore, SARS-CoV-2 exerted on humanity not only a physical impact but also a psychological one, often increasing the feeling of stress. The long-term effects of such a state could include the management of depression, so our study aimed to analyze groups of medical students in different periods of the pandemic (at the beginning of the pandemic, after half a year of the pandemic, after one year of the pandemic) in order to assess the impact of this situation on coping with stress. The impact of the pandemic on the development of stress factors such as alcohol consumption and smoking was also studied. The level of physical activity in the context of coping with an uncertain situation was also assessed. The impact of the above-mentioned factors on the behavior of students, including the Mini-COPE questionnaire, AUDIT test, the Fagerström test and the IPAQ questionnaire was analyzed. It has been shown that as the pandemic and the lockdown progressed, patients consumed more often or larger amounts of alcohol, smoked more cigarettes, and levels of physical activity decreased. All these factors may have had some impact on the deterioration of coping with stress among the respondents, which would indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly contributed to an increase in the sense of stress among the students.

Background. The knowledge about nutrition of the marathoners is insufficient. An insightful and personalized approach to the diet of long-distance athletes, including the consumption of important nutrients such as dietary fiber, is needed to improve the efficiency of their performance. Objective. Estimation of the frequency of consumption of food products as a source of dietary fiber by people preparing for the marathon. Material and Methods. The frequency of intake of selected dietary fiber sources by women (n=105) and men (n=87) aged 19 to 73 years, who compete in marathons. The Block questionnaire was used to assess the intake of fiber sources (whole grain cereals, vegetables, fruits, potatoes and legumes). Fiber consumption was expressed on a dot scale. Results. Adequate dietary fiber intake was found in 44% of the marathon runners, but insufficient one-in 50% of the respondents. Diets of about 6% of the subjects were poor in dietary fiber. Lower dietary fiber intake was demonstrated in both men and women in the pre-marathon period, and was due to the recommended dietary fiber intake during this period. Conclusion. The study showed an insufficient intake of dietary fiber in all-day rations of most of the surveyed marathon runners. A statistically significantly lower dietary intake of marathoners (both women and men) was demonstrated before the marathon compared to the post-long distance period.

The study aimed to personalize the classification of body weight using the fat–fat-free (FFF) index with the percentage of body fat and to develop classification standards for the FFF index for men aged 18–25 years. Moreover, 1,642 adolescents (1,200 ♀) were examined. Using body composition analyzers, weight was determined, as well as overall and segmental body composition. Based on the obtained values for fat mass and fat-free tissue mass, an overall FFF index was calculated. According to the BMI classification, 9% of ♀ and 6% of ♂ are underweight, 29% of ♀ and 13% of ♂ are overweight, and 5% of the subjects are obese. Women and men classified in the same group according to BMI differed statistically significantly in terms of body weight, FM%, and FFM. In contrast to BMI and FM%, the FFF used takes into account the ratio of fat mass to fat-free tissue and muscle tissue mass. The proposed classification of FFF was made taking into account the differences that arise with sexual development and physiological changes occurring in ontogeny. Assessment of body mass using the FFF index should be used as part of preventive screening for the early diagnosis and prevention of overweight and thus many chronic diseases for which overweight or obesity is a risk factor.

The aim of this study was to assess the occurrence of non-specific symptoms of “long-COVID syndrome” depending on the physical activity undertaken resulting from the imposed forms of study (distance learning–contact learning); 136 men aged 21.5 ± 1.58 from universities educating students of medical faculties were examined. The difference between the universities was mainly due to the nature of the classes undertaken (classes remotely-hybrid form) in the period from March 2020 to February 2021. Among the respondents, 17% in Group I and 16% in Group II were infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including 50% in Group I with moderate symptoms, and in Group II—most people 45% with mild symptoms. The conducted research clearly shows the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students. They show a number of important problems, such as reduced physical activity, as well as increased body weight and time spent in front of the monitor. They also make it clear that the health consequences of the pandemic affect both people who were infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus and those who did not suffer from this infection.

The goal of our study was to investigate the relative and absolute intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of ultrasound assessment of patellar tendon (PT) thickness assessed over four locations, in track cyclists and soccer players. Fifteen male elite track cyclists and 15 male elite soccer players participated. Tendon thickness was measured over 4 locations placed at 5-10-15-20 mm inferior to the apex of the patella by two experienced examiners. Each examiner took two US images for the test measurements with a 10-min rest period. After a 30-min period, the subjects underwent a retest measurements that were also repeated 1-week after. A two-way analysis of variance revealed a significant group x location interaction on PT thickness for Examiner 1 (p = .001, η2 = .81) and Examiner 2 (p = 0.001, η2 = 0.78). Intra-rater reliability ranged from good to excellent (ICC2,k ≥ 0.75), whereas inter-rater reliability was good (ICC2,k ≥ 0.75) in both groups. Ultrasonographic assessment of PT was found to be a reliable method to assess tendon thickness. The middle location of the PT (corresponding to 15 and 20 mm) can be considered the most reliable spot to measure PT thickness. The PT thickness was larger among track cyclists than soccer players, with larger differences over the distal location (15 mm). Ultrasonographic assessment of PT was found to be a reliable method to assess tendon thickness. The middle location of the PT corresponding to 15 mm and 20 mm can be considered the most reliable area to measure PT thickness.

The gluten-free diet (GFD) requires special attention from nutritionists due to the potential risk of nutrient deficiencies in its users. This risk may be greater when this type of nutrition is implemented in prisons due to the limited possibilities of external control, a low catering budget for meals, and insufficiently defined recommendations regulating nutrition for prisoners. The aim of the present study was to assess the nutritional value of GFD and regular diet meals served in some Polish prisons and to compare the values to the dietary reference intake (DRI) standards. Using a specialized computer program, 7-day menus of both types of diet provided in 10 prisons were analyzed. The percentage coverage of the DRI was calculated based on the recommendations of the Polish National Food and Nutrition Institute. GFD was characterized by lower average contents of energy and 11 out of 14 essential nutrients, i.e., protein, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, starch, ash, sodium, calcium, iron, zinc, folate, and vitamin B12. The average content of phosphorus, niacin, and riboflavin in the gluten-free diet was higher than that in the regular diet. It was shown that the meals in GFD and the regular diet did not provide the recommended amounts of calcium (38 and 44% DRI, respectively), vitamin D (29 and 30% DRI), vitamin C (86 and 76% DRI), and folate (51 and 56% DRI). In turn, the supply of sodium, phosphorus, copper, and vitamins A and B6 substantially exceeded the recommended levels. The results indicate a need for greater quality control of GFD meals served in catering facilities. It is also necessary to develop legal provisions that will regulate more specifically the nutrition for prisoners in terms of an adequate supply of minerals and vitamins.

The study was conducted in October 2020 and March 2021 among Wroclaw Medical University students of different years and faculties. The objective of the study was to establish the relationship between some determinants, such as gender and the levels of physical activity, and the quality of sleep of medical students during the pandemic. Ultimately, 696 responses from October and 652 from March were included. To determine the level of physical activity, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used, and for sleep quality, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used. The findings pointed to a higher Total MET m/w (metabolic equivalent of task in minutes a week) in men compared to women in both study periods (2020: 1845.8 to 1542.5, p = 0.009; 2021: 2040.7 to 1826.6, p = 0.025). This was mainly due to a higher Vigorous Exercises MET m/w in men (2020: 837.3 to 635.8, p = 0.008; 2021: 773.3 to 490.3, p = 0.0006). Moreover, women had a lower quality of sleep resulting from problems in Habitual Sleep Efficiency, Sleep Disturbances, and Daytime Dysfunctions. An adequate level of physical activity and a good night’s rest are the fundaments of health; therefore, it is necessary to determine the causes of their deficiencies in order that we can counteract them.

Physical activity and healthy diets are determinants of the health of convicts who are deprived of freedom. However, little research has focused on these two aspects concurrently. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationships between the level of prisoners’ physical activity and their dietary habits, diet quality, and nutritional knowledge. The cross-sectional study was conducted with 226 prisoners. The inclusion criteria included male sex, age 18–65 years, and consent for the research. We excluded the subjects who met any of the following conditions: female sex, unwillingness to participate, and dangerous prisoner status. The KomPAN questionnaire was used to assess the prisoners’ eating habits, diet quality, and level of nutrition knowledge. The “Last 7d” short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to assess the prisoners’ level of physical activity. A significant correlation between the prisoners’ age and their levels of physical activity was found (p = 0.008). Prisoners who were aged 18–29 and over 40 declared a low level of physical activity, whereas those aged 30–40 reported a high or medium level. The level of physical activity of the surveyed prisoners was not significantly correlated with their dietary habits, the quality of their diet, or their nutrition knowledge.