The aim of the paper was to assess indicators of muscle and intestinal damage in triathletes. The study involved 15 triathletes whose objective for the season was to start in the XTERRA POLAND 2017 event (1,500-m swimming, 36-km cycling, and 10-km mountain running). Before the 14-week preparatory period, the competitors’ body composition was measured, aerobic capacity was tested (graded treadmill test) and blood samples were collected to determine markers showing the level of muscle and intestinal damage. Subsequent tests for body composition were carried out before and after the competition. Blood samples for biochemical indicators were collected the day before the competition, after the completed race, and 24 and 48 hours later. A significant decrease in body mass was observed after completing the race (–3.1±1.5%). The mean maximal oxygen uptake level among the studied athletes equalled 4.9±0.4 L·min^–1, 58.8±4.5 mL·kg^–1·min^–1. The significant increase in concentrations of cortisol, c-reactive protein and myoglobin after the competition, significantly correlated with the significant increase in zonulin concentration (post 1h: r = 0.88, p = 0.007, r = 0,79, p = 0.001, r = 0.78, p = 0.001, and post 12h: r = 0.75, p = 0.01, r = 0.71, p = 0.011, r = 0.83, p = 0.02). No significant changes in the concentration of tumour necrosis factor alpha among the examined competitors were noted at following stages of the study. The results of our research showed that in order to monitor overload in the training of triathletes, useful markers reflecting the degree of muscle and intestinal damage include cortisol, testosterone, testosterone to cortisol ratio, c-reactive protein, myoglobin and zonulin. Changes in muscle cell damage markers strongly correlated with changes in zonulin concentration at particular stages of the study. Thus, one can expect that the concentrations of markers depicting the level of muscle cell damage after an intense and long-lasting effort will significantly influence the level of the intestinal barrier.

Travelling families are interested in urban tourism due to its cognitive and entertainment aspects. Some expectations of parents travelling with children are the same independent of the accommodation location. The purpose of this article is to examine at what level city hotels offer services and amenities within family tourism, how they meet parents’ expectations and whether they adapt offers to children of different ages. Two measurement tools were used for this study. The first one was the authors’ questionnaire addressed to hotel managers. A total of 88 hotels located in Krakow were selected for the study. The survey contained questions on the offers of hotels related to various services and amenities for families with children, which were assigned to one of three groups (24 items): general child-friendly hotel services and amenities, in-room amenities and restaurant amenities. In the second phase of the study, parents of children aged 0–10 years were asked to assess the degree to which the amenities offered by hotels were important for them during the selection of a hotel. In total, 90 surveys were taken into consideration. The tool was designed to examine the needs of parents who have children of different ages, in regard to selected hotel services and amenities (24 items). As in the case of the surveys for hoteliers, the same three groups were created. The research demonstrates that children’s age is the key factor that should lead to the differentiation of the accommodation offer. However, hoteliers largely perceive children as a homogeneous group. In all studied age categories (6) and amenities groups (3), parents’ expectations were higher than the services and amenities offered. No significant differences regarding the category of the hotel or hotel chain membership have been found. The results of the study may provide valuable guidance to hoteliers who wish to attract families with children to urban tourism and adapt their offer to them, thus realising the principle of inclusiveness. They may be also a significant contribution to the literature on the subject, as most published work concerns holiday hotels rather than city hotels.

Background: The popularity of using the advice of a personal trainer is increasing in Poland and currently most gyms offer the possibility of training under the supervision of a professional. Personal trainers present a multifaceted nature into physical activity and become their clients’ guides in achieving sporting goals. Physical trainers also work in sports clubs and supervise the training of people professionally involved in sport. Aim: Given the professional role that they play, this article aimed to analyze the knowledge and attitudes of personal trainers towards using prohibited measures to improve performance in sport, as well as counteraction measures. Methods: The study used a questionnaire created by the authors containing closed, semi-open, and open questions. Results: The results of the presented research indicate that most physical trainers and students educated in this field have a negative attitude towards the use of prohibited measures that increase performance but they noticed that doping was common in sport by 88.51% respondents. In the group of personal trainers, the majority (87.14%) admitted that good results in sport could be achieved without the use of doping. They stated that it was unfair (25%), contrary to the fair play principle—16%, while over 11% indicated this as cheating. Only 6% of people pointed out that it was legally prohibited and 3% that it was harmful. These results show that 10.13% of all respondents believe that the use of doping is a necessity to achieve very good results in sport. Conclusions: The availability of doping substances is statistically correlated with the question of persuading to use doping in both groups of trainers and students and some people justify the use of doping. The research proved that the personal trainers’ level of knowledge on doping is still insufficient.

Postępujące zmiany demograficzne mają wpływ na różne aspekty naszego życia, w tym również na ruch turystyczny. Przekształceniom ulega struktura osób podróżujących, jak też ich oczekiwania, potrzeby i motywacje. Turystyka, będąc jedną z najbardziej dynamicznie rozwijających się branż, aby prężnie się rozwijać, musi uwzględniać wszystkie nowe trendy i prawidłowości. W związku z widocznie zauważalnym starzeniem się społeczeństw, szczególnie w Europie, turystyka osób starszych, zwana również senioralną, jest tą, która ma duży potencjał rozwojowy. Szeroka grupa odbiorców to wiele możliwości zarówno dla miast, gmin, jak i dla poszczególnych przedsiębiorstw związanych z turystyką. Celem niniejszej pracy była analiza ofert obiektów noclegowych Krynicy-Zdroju – jednego z najstarszych polskich uzdrowisk – pod kątem programu przygotowanego specjalnie dla seniorów. Przebadano rodzaje ofert, pakiety zniżkowe, możliwości aktywności i spędzania wolnego czasu. Starano się znaleźć odpowiedzi na pytania: czy i w jaki sposób oferty przedstawiane są na stronach internetowych obiektów noclegowych, czy różnią się między sobą, czy hotele o wyższym standardzie mają bogatszą ofertę przeznaczoną dla seniorów niż te o niższym standardzie, czy obiekty noclegowe dostosowują się do zmian demograficznych i odpowiadają na zapotrzebowania starzejącego się społeczeństwa. Spośród całej bazy noclegowej w Krynicy-Zdroju, w oparciu o dane z Krynickiej Organizacji Turystycznej z 2017 roku, przeanalizowano 221 obiektów noclegowych, w tym: sześć hoteli czterogwiazdkowych, siedem hoteli trzygwiazdkowych, 11 pensjonatów, 14 sanatoriów, 65 ośrodków wypoczynkowych, osiem domków drewnianych, 107 kwater prywatnych, dwa schroniska i jeden hostel. W pracy posłużono się metodą kwerendy źródeł internetowych. Z przeprowadzonych badań wynika, że oferta usług towarzyszących, zamieszczanych na stronach internetowych, proponowana seniorom przez obiekty noclegowe w Krynicy, nie jest bogata ani różnorodna. Tym samym nie nadąża za zmieniającymi się potrzebami współczesnego turysty. Zróżnicowana jest głównie pod kątem cenowym, uwzględniając zjawisko sezonowości. Właściciele obiektów powinni zróżnicować i rozszerzyć ofertę kierowaną do osób starszych, niekoniecznie chorych, ale chcących zadbać o swoje zdrowie. Stanowiłoby to czynnik konkurencyjny, mogłoby poprawić promocję obiektu noclegowego, jednocześnie zwiększając sprzedaż usług. Atrakcyjniejsza oferta obiektów noclegowych, odpowiadająca wymaganiom zmieniającego się popytu turystycznego, byłaby również korzystna z perspektywy rozwoju miasta.

The basis of the Sokol movement in Europe in the nineteenth century was as a result of a number of social, political, and institutional phenomena, as well as changes in the fields of education, culture and customs. Development of medical and pedagogical knowledge was an important factor for progress in physical education in the nineteenth century, but also in the forming of the Sokol Gymnastics Society. The inspiration for Sokol within Polish territory was the then gymnastic systems, and the earlier formed Czech Gymnastics Society. However, a significant factor certainly was the political and social situation within former Poland.