Aim:To determine the possible influence of high physical load in the workplace on the physical fitness of employees. Methods: The subjects (494 men) were tested by means of Baecke's questionnaire for evaluation of the Work Index, measuring occupational physical load. The EUROFIT battery of tests was used for testing the functional and motor abilities of the subjects. Results: Subjects with a higher Work Index (n = 274) performed worse than the subjects with a lower Work Index (n = 220), indicating that high physical load in the workplace does not necessarily mean improvement in functional and motor abilities. The ''heavy'' workers were only found to have a stronger handgrip. This could be attributed to the fact that physical activity performed at the workplace did not have adequate intensity, volume, and duration to effect positive changes in other motor and functional capacities. L ow physical fitness is one of the major factors contributing to an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and musculoskeletal problems. There is evidence that changes in physical activity that increase physical fitness can decrease that risk.

With a low rate of hypoglycaemia crisis and better glycemic control the proposed programme was found to be satisfactory but the downside was that the duration of the effects was too short. With no participation in organised exercise programmes and with absence of controlled nutrition, the beneficial effects of the camp disappeared within 2 months after the camp.

In this study, we evaluated the extent to which 2000-m rowing ergometer performance times predicted final rankings at the World Rowing Championships in a sample of 638 rowers of both sexes and body-mass classifications (i.e., open-category and lightweight rowers). Rowing ergometer performance times were examined using a questionnaire, and in 17 of 23 events they were positively correlated (P < or = 0.049) with the final rankings at the Championships. The highest correlations were for the ergometer performance times achieved by rowers in lightweight men's single sculls (r = 0.78; P = 0.005), women's single sculls (r = 0.75; P = 0.002), men's single sculls (r = 0.72; P = 0.004), and lightweight men's double sculls (r = 0.72; P < 0.001). We used linear regression to establish regression equations to predict final rankings based on 2000-m rowing ergometer performance times for each event in which there was a correlation greater than r = 0.50. Although correlations in 12 events met this criterion, the large standard errors of the estimate hindered ranking predictions in all of the studied events. Regression equations could be used to determine the most probable 2000-m ergometer performance time for a rower to achieve specific rankings at the World Rowing Championships.

Plyometric training is an important part of athletic conditioning with many significant benefits, including improved motor abilities and performance, but it can also increase the serum indices of muscle damage, collagen breakdown, muscle swelling, and soreness. Due to the physical characteristics of water, plyometric training in water presents less eccentric contraction, facilitates faster transition from the eccentric to concentric phase of a jump and offers greater resistance during concentric contraction with acute lower indices of muscle damage. To advance our understanding of the long-term effects of an eight-week plyometric training programme on land and in water on muscle damage indicators (lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK) and serum urea (SU)), two experimental groups of physically active men (a group on land (EG1) and a group in water (EG2)) were tested before and after the first and the last plyometric training to monitor muscle damage indicators and adaptations. The results showed changes in CK activity after both plyometric trainings for EG1 and only after the first training for EG2. Moreover, after the eight-week programme, significant difference was observed in CK activity in comparison with EG2. There were no observed changes in LDH activity while SU showed greater changes for the group on land. The plyometric training programme in water resulted in smaller levels of muscle damage indicators. Although both experimental groups conducted the same plyometric training with the same jump volume, the eccentric and concentric loads were not the same, so it can be concluded that adaptations in muscle damage processes are faster with smaller eccentric loads.

The main object of this research was to determine the existance of statistically significant differences in physiological load of the referees concidering the period of the basketball game. The sample of subjects consisted of 31 referees, avarage age of 33.35 ± 5.17, from the A referee list of the 1st Croatian Basketball League in the contest season 2008/2009. The sample of variables consisted of the following: FSMavarage heart rate; Fsmaxmaximum heart rate; Eenergy consumption (kcal/min). Measuring was done during official games of the 1st Croatian Basketball League in the contest season of 2008/2009. During the game, heart rate was measured with a cardiotachometer (an electronic device for heart rate measurement), produced by POLAR, model RS400 (Finland). Data processing was done using a programme package STATISTICA for Windows, ver 8. Based on the obtained results of univariate variance analysis it was concluded that there are no statistically significant differences in the physiological load between the first and second half-time, as well as between particular quarters of basketball games.