Background: While the association between self-efficacy and sports success has been well established in previous studies, little is known regarding whether the basic approach motivation system contributes to this relationship in athletes. The study examines associations between self-reported temperamental approach disposition, self-efficacy, and predispositions to sports success in athletes. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed between August 3 and 30 November 2020. The participants were 156 athletes, aged 16–34 years (M = 21.57, SD = 3.58, 41.67% women), in two groups: 54 elite athletes in speed skating (EASS) and 102 physical education students (PES). The online survey consisted of the Reinforced Sensitivity Questionnaire (RSQ), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), and Sports Success Scale (SSS). Results: There were no differences in self-efficacy and sports success in terms of gender, sports discipline, and level of competitions. The Behavioral Activation System (BAS) results were lower in the EASS sample compared with in the PES group. Self-efficacy plays a mediating role in the relationships between BAS and sports success among athletes, with sport discipline as a moderator between BAS and self-efficacy. Sports success in speed skating relies strongly on BAS, while a weak link has been found in other sports disciplines. Conclusions: BAS is directly correlated to sports success and indirectly related through self-efficacy. Mental training should be focused on maintaining self-efficacy and reward motivation in athletes to increase their sports success.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic progressive demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that leads to permanent disability and many neurological symptoms, making everyday functioning difficult. The predictors of the acceptance of illness and the health-related quality of life in people with MS include the degree of disability, neurological symptoms and psychosocial factors, such as personal resources. The aim of our study is to determine the relationships among disability, fatigue, self-efficacy, acceptance of illness and quality of life. The study group consisted of 137 people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis—73 women and 64 men. EDSS, GNDS, LSES, AIS and MSIS-29 were used in the present study. The results show that all tested variables were significantly correlated with each other. Disability and fatigue were significant predictors of both the physical and psychological aspects of patients’ quality of life. Self-efficacy was a significant predictor of both the acceptance of illness and the psychological aspect of patients’ quality of life. Based on the current research study, it can be concluded that factors of a biomedical nature explain other aspects of struggling with the disease, rather than psychological resources.

Multiple sclerosis is a progressive demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that can lead to permanent disability and significantly impact the quality of life. The present study explores the relationship between neurological disability and disease symptoms, quality of life, and the level of sense of coherence, which is an important resource for coping with the disease. EDSS, GNDS, SOC-29, and MSIS-29 were used in the presented study. The study group consisted of 137 people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The study showed the correlation between most of the analyzed variables. Mood disability and fatigue were significant predictors of the sense of coherence and explained 34% of its variance. Physical disability and fatigue served as significant predictors of the physical aspect of quality of life, explaining 49% of its variance. Fatigue and sense of coherence were significant predictors of the psychological aspect of quality of life, explaining 47% of the variance. In studies on a group of people with multiple sclerosis, it is worth considering, in addition to the level of disability, also invisible symptoms, such as fatigue or mood disability, which are important for the quality of life and the level of resources. As this study suggests, a sense of coherence is a resource essential for the quality of life of people with disabilities.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the body balance control of people walking and hurdling with or without a specific dominant leg in a monopodal position. This study involved 28 physical education students. The center of pressure (COP) was measured with a force plate under four conditions: single-leg standing (right and left) with eyes open and two upper limb positions (the arms were positioned in either a specific hurdle technique manner or alongside the body). A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted separately for five parameters of the COP in the medial-lateral (ML) and anterior-posterior (AP) directions under the four conditions. In the single-leg position, athletes without a dominant lower leg had better body balance than those with a dominant lower leg. The position of the upper limbs influenced the body position when hurdling. Accepting the correct position of the upper limbs helped to maintain balance (when overcoming hurdles). In hurdles, the position of the upper limbs should be improved to maintain postural stability and save this function for more demanding postural tasks.