Background: A massage is a tool that is frequently used in sports and exercise in general for recovery and increased performance. In this review paper, we aimed to search and systemize current literature findings relating to massages’ effects on sports and exercise performance concerning its effects on motor abilities and neurophysiological and psychological mechanisms. Methods: The review has been written following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis) guidelines. One hundred and fourteen articles were included in this review. Results: The data revealed that massages, in general, do not affect motor abilities, except flexibility. However, several studies demonstrated that positive muscle force and strength changed 48 h after the massage was given. Concerning neurophysiological parameters, the massage did not change blood lactate clearance, muscle blood flow, muscle temperature, or activation. However, many studies indicate pain reduction and delayed onset muscle soreness, which are probably correlated with the reduction of the level of creatine kinase enzyme and psychological mechanisms. In addition, the massage treatment led to a decrease in depression, stress, anxiety, and the perception of fatigue and an increase in mood, relaxation, and the perception of recovery. Conclusion: The direct usage of massages just for gaining results in sport and exercise performance seems questionable. However, it is indirectly connected to performance as an important tool when an athlete should stay focused and relaxed during competition or training and recover after them.

Metric, physiological, and biomechanical variables in performance of rapid movements have generally revealed inconsistent findings. Within this study, we tested the hypotheses that (a) both body composition and leg extensor strength variables would reveal significant relationship with jumping performance, whereas (b) the same relationships would be stronger in physically active nonathletes than in the elite athletes proficient in vertical jumping. Top-level female volleyball players (VP; N = 35) and physically active female nonathletes (PA; N = 21) were tested on maximum vertical jumps performed with and without arm swing, as well as on body composition (percent fat and muscle) and leg press strength (maximum force and the rate of force development). The results revealed significant relationships between the jumping performance and body composition variables that appeared to be higher in PA (r = 0.65–0.76; all p < 0.01) than in VP (r = 0.37–0.42; all p ≤ 0.05). The relationships between the jumping performance and the leg strength variables were mainly significant (r = 0.23–0.68) and similar in 2 groups. We conclude that not only the leg extensor strength but also the body composition variables could be valid predictors of jumping performance and, possibly, other rapid movements. Moreover, the body composition variables that have been mainly neglected in the literature could be particularly strong predictors of performance of jumping in nonathletes, as compared with relatively homogeneous populations of elite athletes....

The paper addresses relations between the characteristics of body composition in international sprint swimmers and sprint performance. The research included 82 swimmers of international level (N = 46 male and N = 36 female athletes) from 8 countries. We measured body composition using multifrequency bioelectrical impedance methods with “InBody 720” device. In the case of male swimmers, it was established that the most important statistically significant correlation with sprint performance is seen in variables, which define the quantitative relationship between their fat and muscle with the contractile potential of the body (Protein-Fat Index, r = 0.392, p = 0.007; Index of Body Composition, r = 0.392, p = 0.007; Percent of Skeletal Muscle Mass, r = 0.392, p = 0.016). In the case of female athletes, statistically significant relations with sprint performance were established for variables that define the absolute and relative amount of a contractile component in the body, but also with the variables that define the structure of body fat characteristics (Percent of Skeletal Muscle Mass, r = 0.732, p = 0.000; Free Fat Mass, r = 0.702, p = 0.000; Fat Mass Index, r = −0.642, p = 0.000; Percent of Body Fat, r = −0.621, p = 0.000). Using Multiple Regression Analysis, we managed to predict swimming performance of sprint swimmers with the help of body composition variables, where the models defined explained 35.1 and 75.1% of the mutual variability of performance, for male and female swimmers, respectively. This data clearly demonstrate the importance of body composition control in sprint swimmers as a valuable method for monitoring the efficiency of body adaptation to training process in order to optimize competitive performance.

Research with police officers (POs) suggests an association between body composition, physical performance and health. The aim of the study was to investigate the associations between body composition and measures of physical fitness, and their use to predict estimated physical fitness score (EPFS). The sample included 163 male POs (age = 31.61 ± 4.79 years, height = 172.97 ± 6.09 cm, body mass = 77.53 ± 11.66 kg). Eight body composition variables: body mass index (BMI), body fat mass index (BFMI), percent of body fat (PBF), percent skeletal muscle mass (PSMM), index of hypokinezia (IH), skeletal muscle mass index (SMMI), protein mass index (PMI), and fat-free mass index (FFMI); and four physical fitness measures: a 3.2 km run, a 2-minute push-up, 2-minute sit-up and estimated physical fitness score (EPFS) were correlated, followed by the regression analysis for causal relationship between body composition and EPFS. Running 3.2 km test correlated to BMI, PBF, PSMM, BFMI, and SMMI (r = 0.274, 0.250, -0.234, 0.311, p<0.01, respectively); 2-minute push-up correlated to PBF, PSMM, BFMI, SMMI, PMI, IH, and FFMI (r = -0.413, 0.436, -0.375, 0.221, 0.231, -0.411, 0.261, p<0.01, respectively); 2-minute sit-up correlated to PBF, PSMM, BFMI, and IH (r = -0.237, 0.250, -0.236, -0.218, p<0.01, respectively); and EPFS correlated to BMI, FFMI, PBF, PSMM, BFMI, and IH (r = -0.200, 0.168, p<0.05, and r = -0.369, 0.378, 0.376, -0.317, p <0.01, respectively). Two models of predictions were extracted: 1) PBF, BFMI, PMI and FFMI (R2 = 0.250, p<0.001); 2) PBF, BFMI and PMI (R2 = 0.244, p<0.001). Obtained prediction models may be a promising screening method of a POs’ fitness, when conducting the physical tests is not possible or safe (obese and injured POs or bad weather conditions).

Purpose: Leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) has always been very important for the maintenance and improvement of body composition. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine if the frequency and volume of LTPA (F-LTPA and V-LTPA) were related to indices of body composition in police officers. Method: A physical activity questionnaire was used to collect data from 346 male police officers regarding their F-LTPA and V-LTPA. They were divided into four groups relative to the frequency, and four groups relative to the volume of LTPA, labeled as inactive, seldom active, moderately active and very active for each LTPA indicator. Percent body fat (PBF), skeletal muscle mass (PSMM), skeletal muscle mass index (SMMI) and body fat mass index (BFMI) were assessed. Correlation analyses investigated associations and multivariate analysis of variance analysed the differences between body composition and LTPA, with significance set at p < .05. Results: The F-LTPA correlated (p < .001) to PBF (r = −0.306), BFMI (r = −0.289), PSMM (r = 0.309) and SMMI (r = −0.138, p = .010). The V-LTPA correlated (p < .001) to PBF (r = −0.370), BFMI (r = −0.348), PSMM (r = 0.311), and SMMI (r = −0.106, p = .049). The differences that occurred between more and less active police officers, whereby those who were very active had lower values of PBF and BFMI and higher values of PSMM and SMMI regardless of the frequency and volume of LTPA. PBF and PSMM were more affected by LTPA than SMMI and BFMI. Conclusions: F-LTPA and V-LTPA were considered important for police officers, whereby F-LTPA was related to muscle and V-LTPA to fat parameters of body composition.

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of long-term training on elite female volleyball players and to determine parameters that could discriminate them according to the level of oxidative stress-associated adaptation. Fifty-four elite female volleyball players were divided into 3 groups (1: below-average training experience 10.5 years). The measured parameters were reactive oxygen metabolites, biological anti-oxidative potential, superoxide anion, malondialdehyde, advanced oxidation protein products, lipid hydroperoxides, paraoxonase activity, superoxide-dismutase activity and sulphydryl groups. Multiple discriminant analysis of the oxidative stress status parameters between the three groups of athletes indicated a statistically significant difference (Wilks’ lambda=0.458, X ² =35.898, p=0.031). The most important discriminant variables, superoxide-dismutase and superoxide anion, were the best indicators of differences between groups with different training experience. The significantly higher values were found in Group 3 compared with Group 1 in superoxide-dismutase activity (141±32 vs. 86±46; p=0.002), sulphydryl groups (p=0.031), and reactive oxygen metabolites (p=0.042). The significantly lower superoxide anion was found between Group 3 and Group 1 (377±187 vs. 1183±905; p=0.001). Oxidative stress status parameters adequately discriminated 68.5% of athletes with different training experience.