Scientific evidence shows that breathing or aerobic programs can improve the quality of life of asthma patients. The aim of this work was to find out the influences of breathing exercises and breathing exercises combined with aerobic exercise on changes in spirometry parameters in patients with bronchial asthma. Participants: The group consisted of 33 women with bronchial asthma—mild to moderate persistent levels of FEV1 reduction (80–50%)—with a mean age of 34.73 ± 1.53 years. They were randomly assigned to experimental group 1 (EX1), experimental group 2 (EX2) or the control group (CG). Materials and methods: Changes in spirometry parameters were evaluated over a 16-week period in the three groups: CG (placebo), EX1 (breathing exercises) and EX 2 (combination of breathing exercises with an aerobic program). To evaluate the pre-training and post-training diagnostics, we used MIR Spirobank II. The influences of the experimental and control factors were assessed using the following dependent variables: forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), Tiffeneau–Pinelli index (FEV1/FVC ratio), peak expiratory flow (PEF) and forced mid-expiratory flow (FEF25–75%). We used the Wilcoxon t-test and the Kruskal–Wallis test to evaluate the differences in the measured parameters. To examine the effect of our protocols, we used effect size (ES). Results: In CG we observed improvements in: FVC—(5%; p < 0.05; ES = 0.437). FEV1—(7.33%; p < 0.01; ES = 0.585). FEV1/FVC ratio (5.27%; p < 0.01; ES = 0.570). PEF (11.22%; p < 0.01; ES = 0.448). FEF25–75% (7.02%; p < 0.01; ES = 0.628). In EX1 we observed improvements in: FVC (5.23%; p < 0.01; ES = 0.631), FEV1 (20.67%; p < 0.01; ES = 0.627), FEV1/FVC ratio (16.06%; p < 0.01; ES = 0.628), PEF (13.35%; p < 0.01; ES = 0.627) and FEF25–75% (13.75%; p < 0.01; ES = 0.607). In EX2 we observed improvements in: FVC (9.12%; p < 0.01; ES = 0.627), FEV1 (27.37%; p < 0.01; ES = 0.626), FEV1/FVC ratio (15.32%; p < 0.01; ES = 0.610), PEF (30.66%; p < 0.01; ES = 0.626) and FEF25–75% (58.99%; p < 0.01; ES = 0.626). Significant differences compared to the control group were observed in EX1 for FEV1 (p < 0.05) and FEV1/FVC ratio (p < 0.01); and in EX2 for FEV1 (p < 0.05), FEV1/FVC ratio (p < 0.01), PEF (p < 0.05) and FEF (p < 0.05). A significant difference between EX1 and EX2 was observed in PEF (p < 0.05). Conclusions: It appears to be that combination of breathing exercises with aerobic activities is a more beneficial option for patients with bronchial asthma.

Background and Study Aim. In international races, the winners are decided by hundredths of a second, which is why the swim start plays an important role, especially in the sprint disciplines. The aim of the study is to reveal the differences in kinematic parameters of start and performance in the sprint 50 m freestyle discipline based on gender in different age categories of competitive swimmers at international competitions organized in Slovakia. Material and Methods. The sample consisted of 180 females and 189 males who were divided into age categories (K1, K2, K3). SwimPro cameras and Dartgish software were used to monitor kinematic parameters. The parameters monitored were - block time (BT), time (FT) and distance (FD) of flight, time (UWT) and distance (UWD) underwater, time to 15 m (T15), 25 m (T25) and 50 m (T50). Data were tested by Shapiro-Wilk, Kurskal-Wallis ANOVA and Mann-Whitney U test in Statistica 13.5. Results. In the phase above water level, there were greater differences (p<0.01) in females than in males. Inter-sex differences (p<0.01) were evident in FT in K3, K2 and in FD across all categories. In the underwater phase, differences (p<0.01) were evident in both sexes. Inter-sex differences were more evident in UWT (p<0.01) than UWD (p<0.05). There were inter-sex differences (p<0.01) in ST and SD between all categories except K3. At T15, T25 and T50, differences (p<0.01) were most pronounced between K3 and K2, K1 in females and between all categories in males. Inter-sex differences (p<0.01) were also evident across all categories. Conclusions. The study highlighted differences in 50m freestyle start and performance between age groups and gender, so coaches are advised to design training sessions for swimmers separately.

This study investigated the level of basic motor and swimming competencies in younger school-age children (grades 1-3, 1st cycle of primary school) to address recognized global deficits in Quality Physical Education (QPE), particularly the lack of specialized teacher training for accurate skill assessment. Two standardized test batteries were employed: the MOBAK test battery for motor skills (n=258, ages 6-9) and the Water Basic Competence (WABAC) test battery for swimming competency (n=1,875, grades 1-3). MOBAK results indicated complex, non-linear developmental trends in motor skills. While participants showed proficiency in Self-Movement skills (Mean 6.10/8), a chronic deficit was found in Throwing (stagnant low scores), and an unexpected performance decline after age seven was observed in Jumping and Catching. Conversely, WABAC results demonstrated a clear and significant improvement in swimming competence across all test items with increasing grade and age (mean item scores rose from 2.00-2.52 in Grade 1 to 2.41-2.68 in Grade 3), confirming the importance of systematic instruction. The findings affirm the suitability and efficacy of the MOBAK and WABAC batteries as tools for accurately differentiating pupil competency levels, highlighting specific skill deficits, and informing targeted interventions to improve QPE in primary schools.

This study examined the relationship between selected temporal parameters of the breaststroke start and turn and overall race performance in elite male swimmers. The analysis included the 50 m, 100 m, and 200 m breaststroke events at the World Aquatics Championships. Race performance was defined as final race time (FT). Start-related variables included reaction time (RT) and time at 15 m after the start (T15S). Turn-related variables included time at 5 m before the wall (T5BT), turn duration (TT), and time at 15 m after the turn (T15T). Relationships were assessed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) with effect size interpretation. In the 50 m event, FT was significantly associated with T15S (r = .534, p < .05), whereas RT showed no significant relationship. In the 100 m event, start variables were not significantly related to FT; however, T15T demonstrated a significant correlation (r = .511, p < .05). In the 200 m event, start variables were not significant, while TT (r = .824, p < .05) and T15T (r = .667, p < .05) showed strong associations. The findings indicate distance-specific contributions of race segments, with increasing importance of turn efficiency as race distance increases.