Background During pregnancy, a number of changes affecting venous blood flow occur in the circulatory system, such as reduced vein wall tension or increased exposure to collagen fibers. These factors may cause blood stagnation, swelling of the legs, or endothelial damage and consequently lead to development of venous disease. Objectives The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of special footwear designed to improve blood circulation in the feet on venous blood flow changes observed during advancing phases of pregnancy. Methods Thirty healthy pregnant women participated in this study at 25, 30, and 35 weeks of gestation. Participants were allocated at random to an experimental group (n = 15) which was provided with the special footwear, or a control group (n = 15). At each data collection session, Doppler measurements of peak systolic blood flow velocity and cross-sectional area of the right popliteal vein were performed using a MySonoU6 ultrasound machine with a linear transducer (Samsung Medison). The differences were compared using Cohen’s d test to calculate effect size. Results With advancing phases of pregnancy, peak systolic velocity in the popliteal vein decreased significantly in the control group, whereas it increased significantly in the experimental group. No significant change in cross-sectional area was observed in any of the groups. Conclusions Findings in the experimental group demonstrated that wearing the footwear tested may prevent venous blood velocity from reducing during advanced phases of pregnancy. Nevertheless, there is a need for further investigation of the beneficial effect on venous flow of the footwear tested and its application.

During pregnancy, an array of changes occurs in women body to enable the growth and development of the future baby and the consequent delivery. These changes are reflected in the range of motion of trunk, pelvis, lower limbs and other body segments, affect the locomotion and some of these changes may persist to the postpartum period. The aim of this study was to describe the changes affecting the gait during pregnancy and to determine the effect of tested footwear on kinematic gait characteristics during pregnancy as previous studies indicate that special orthopaedic insoles and footwear might be useful in prevention of the common musculoskeletal pain and discomfort related to pregnancy. Participants from the control group (n = 18), without any intervention, and the experimental group (n = 23), which was wearing the tested shoes, were measured at their 14, 28 and 37 gestational weeks and 28 weeks postpartum to capture the complete pregnancy-related changes in gait. The gait 3D kinematic data were obtained using Simi Motion System. The differences between the control and experimental group at the first data collection session in most of the analysed variables, as well as relatively high standard deviations of analysed variables indicate large individual differences in the gait pattern. The effect of tested footwear on kinematic gait pattern changes may be explained by its preventive effect against the foot arches falling. In the control group, changes associated previously with the foot arches falling and hindfoot hyperpronation were observed during advanced phases of pregnancy and postpartum, e.g. increase in knee flexion or increase in spinal curvature. For the comprehensive evaluation of the tested footwear on pregnancy gait pattern, future studies combining the kinematic and dynamic plantographic methods are needed.

Purpose of the study was to examine relationship between distribution of healthy fitness zone standards of high school students and their type of housing or area of residence. Study sample consisted of 684 students (284 boys, 400 girls) from urban and rural areas of the region Presov in the eastern part of Slovakia. Physical fitness was assessed by four tests: back-saver sit and reach, shoulder stretch, curl-ups and 90° push-ups. Differences by place of residence and types of housing were examined by correspondence analysis of two-dimensional tables with computing Chi square value at significance level p < 0.05. Urban students performed higher level of flexibility, abdominal and upper strength and endurance than rural ones. Boys and girls living in a flat reached higher level of flexibility and abdominal strength/endurance however, they performed worse in upper strength and endurance than those living in a house. Slovak adolescents seem to have a healthier profile in abdominal muscular fitness and upper body flexibility than in lower body flexibility. The relationship between distribution of healthy fitness zone standards and residence area or housing type was revealed only in lower body flexibility, upper strength and endurance of urban and rural girls.

Background Intellectual disabilities (ID) affect both cognitive and motor functions. The backward gait is a daily activity and its assessment is used for fall risk estimation and training in the general population. For proper use of backward gait as a rehabilitation tool and in fall prevention programmes for people with ID, it is necessary to determine the backward gait characteristics in the ID population. The aim of this study was to compare the differences between forward and backward gait in persons with nonsyndromic mild and moderate ID, persons with Down syndrome (DS) and a control group of healthy adults. Methods Fifty males divided into four groups (mild ID: n = 15, moderate ID: n = 19, DS: n = 6, controls: n = 10) participated in this study. All participants were asked to walk both forward and backward, barefooted and at their natural velocity on a Zebris FDM platform. The Kruskal–Wallis H test was used to compare differences between the analysed groups in forward and backward gait. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare the differences between forward and backward gait within each group. Results The velocity was significantly slower in moderate ID and DS compared to controls in forward and backward gait. When comparing forward and backward gait within each group, the gait velocity decreased in backward gait compared with forward gait by 21.80% in controls, by 33.89% in mild ID, by 34.45% in moderate ID, and by 40.32% in DS. In both moderate ID and DS, the mean backward velocity was slower than 2.16 km/h, the velocity used to identify elderly fallers in the general population. Conclusions Gait velocity was especially affected in DS and moderate ID compared with controls. In both mentioned groups, the backward gait velocity suggests an increased risk of falling. Future studies are necessary to examine the possibility of improving balance control and leg muscle strength by backward walking training in the ID population.

This article aimed to investigate the effects of menstrual cycle phases on perceptual responses in athletes by means of systematic review and meta-analysis. The search was conducted in the PubMed, Web of Science, and Sport Discus databases considering articles with two or more menstrual phases for comparison. The PECO criteria were used for the keywords “menstrual cycle,” “athletes,” and “perceptual responses” with their respective entry terms. Of 1.165 records identified, 14 articles were available for the final evaluation, while eight articles were eligible for a meta-analysis. The perceptual responses evaluated in the studies were: motivation, competitiveness, sleep quality, stress, muscle soreness, fatigue, perceived effort, mood, menstrual symptoms, perceived endurance, and readiness. The meta-analysis was conducted for perceived effort only. The results showed that the level of perceived exertion does not differ two phases of the menstrual cycle (MD = 3.03, Q = 1.58, df = 1, p = 0.209), whereas RPE was 19.81 ± 0.05 and 16.27 ± 0.53 at day 1–5 and day 19–24, respectively. Two studies found statistically significant changes in motivation and competitiveness during the cycle, with better outcomes in ovulatory phase compared to follicular and luteal. One study found an increase in mood disturbance in the pre-menstrual phase (vs. mid-cycle); one decreased vigor in the menstrual phase (vs. luteal); one increased the menstrual symptoms in the follicular phase (vs. ovulation), and one study reported increased fatigue and decreased sleep quality on luteal phase (vs. follicular). The remaining studies and variables were not affected by the menstrual cycle phase. Based on the results from the studies selected, some perceptual responses are affected in different menstrual cycle phases. A “favorable” subjective response in athletes was noticed when the ovarian hormones present an increase in concentration levels compared to phases with lower concentration. Different perceptual variables and methodological approaches limit the generalization of the conclusion.

Loss of muscle strength characterizes the period before total hip arthroplasty (THA). Little is known about whether muscle strength imbalances caused by muscle strength decline could be considered another clinical predictor for THA. This study aimed to determine whether muscle imbalances may be used as a clinical predictor for THA surgery. Thirty-six participants were enrolled in the study. Eighteen patients had THA (THA group), while 18 were healthy elders (CON group). Ipsilateral (H/Q) and bilateral (% Def) muscle imbalances of the knee were assessed. THA patients showed impairment of the extensors on the affected extremity compared to those unaffected. A comparison between the groups proved there were weakened flexors in the THA group on both extremities. A comparison of the imbalances revealed a significant bilateral imbalance of the extensors and ipsilateral imbalance of both extremities in the THA group. We computed two logistic regressions using bilateral and ipsilateral imbalance as the predictors of THA surgery. We found that bilateral extensor imbalance may be used as a predictor for THA (Nagelkerke R2 = 0.22). A decrease of the bilateral extensors imbalance by 8% decreases the probability of THA by 8%. The most interesting finding is that the evaluation of the bilateral extensor imbalance may be used as another clinical predictor for THA.

Purpose: Change of direction speed (CODS) and reactive agility (RAG) are important qual-ities in futsal, but studies rarely examined the predictors of these conditioning capacities in players of advanced level. This study aimed to evaluate predictive validity of certain an-thropometric and conditioning capacities in evaluation of futsal specific CODS and RAG in top-level players. Methods: The sample comprised 54 male players from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, members of teams competing at the highest national rank, including national champions for the 2017–2018 competitive season in both countries. The variables comprised set of pre-dictors (body mass, body height, triceps skinfold, reactive strength index [RSI], sprint 10 m [S10M], and broad jump [BJ]; and four criteria: futsal specific CODS and RAG, performed with and without dribbling (CODS_D, CODS_WD, RAG_D, RAG_WD). To identify the asso-ciation between variables Pearson’s correlation and multiple regressions were calculated. Results: Observed predictors explained statistically significant (p < 0.05) percentage of vari-ance for all four criteria (Rsq: 0.28, 0.30, 0.23 and 0.25, for CODS_WD, CODS_D, RAG_WD, RAG_D, respectively). Body mass was significant predictor for all criteria (Beta: 0.35–0.51), with poorer performances in heavier players. In both performances which involved dribbling, significant predictors was RSI (Beta: −0.27 and −0.31 for CODS_D and RAG_D, respective-ly), with superior performances in players with better RSI. The S10M and BJ were not identi-fied as being significantly correlated to studied RAG and CODS performances. Conclusion: Study confirmed specific influence of studied predictors of futsal specific CODS and RAG with consistent negative influence of body mass on studied performances. Almost certainly this can be explained by specifics of RAG and CODS execution. Specifically, tests are performed over relatively small distances, with several changes of direction, which clear-ly mimic the futsal specific performances. Although sprint performance is often observed as important determinant of CODS and RAG, herein we did not confirm its predictive validity in explanation of futsal specific CODS and RAG. Future studies should evaluate other poten-tially important predictors of these capacities in futsal.

Purpose: Classical ballet, Slovakian folklore dance, and sport dance training differ in their way how to master the art of dance; however, postural control is essential for the correct exe-cution of complex movements used in all types of dance. The aim of this study was to analyse the differences in static postural control between classical ballet dancers, Slovakian folklore dancers and sport dancers and to analyse the effect of body mass, body height and toe grip strength on postural control. Methods: 68 dancers, between 17 to 28 years of age, participated in this study: 21 dancers from Slovakian folklore dance group VSLPT Poľana Brno (12 females, 9 males), 22 dancers from Brno Dance conservatory (16 females, 6 males) and 25 sport dancers competing at Brno Dance Open 2019 (12 females, 13 males). All participants were asked to stand upright, barefooted, arms along the body, both feet on the Emed-at platform (Novel GmbH, Germany) for 10 seconds with their eyes open to obtain the length of COP line (cm), average velocity of COP (cm/s), the elliptic area (mm2) and numerical eccentricity of the ellipse. The toe grip strength was measured for each foot when sitting using toe grip dynamometer (Takei Scien-tific Instruments, Niigata, Japan). To analyse the effect of dance style, to grip strength, body mass, body height, and gender on postural control variables, Kruskal Wallis test, and Spear-man Rank Order Correlation were used. Results: Abetter postural stability measured by the length and average velocity of COP was observed in sport dancers, compared to classical ballet and Slovakian folklore dancers. Sport dancers are used to a greater load on the forefoot and to a special foot roll-of pattern when dancing, which may lead together with a constantly changing environment during competi-tions to their enhanced postural stability. Despite the differences in dance training and dance footwear of female and male dancers (high-heel shoes in sport and Slovakian folklore female dancers, pointe shoes in female ballet dancers), no statistically significant difference in pos-tural variables between genders was observed. Similarly, in analysed dancers, no effect of age, body mass, and body weight on postural control were observed. The toe grip strength was not observed to affect the postural variables in this study. The greatest toe grip strength was observed in female ballet dancers, despite their younger age. Ballet dance training in-cludes repetitive exercises focused on foot and toes such as battement tendu or demi-pointe and en pointe positions probably resulting in the greater strength of the toes. Conclusion: In this study, better postural stability measured by the length and average ve-locity of COP was observed in sport dancers, compared to classical ballet and Slovakian folklore dancers. In analysed dancers, no effect of body mass, body weight, gender, and toe grip strength on postural control variables was observed. Future studies focused on postural stability changes in non-dancers after a sport dance, classical ballet and Slovakian folklore dance training program would provide additional knowledge about the process how each type of dance enhance the balance and other coordinative skills.