Background: Compared to the great volume of studies focusing on children and adolescents without intellectual disability, research regarding body mass index among young populations (13–17 years old) with intellectual disability is scarce, mostly when we refer to the comparisons between various degrees of intellectual disability and gender. Methods: The purpose of this study was to assess a series of morphofunctional parameters among children with and without intellectual disability to characterise the morphofunctional normality and its perturbations. Within the study, we included 101 subjects from several educational institutions, distributed on five groups, by their gender and degree of intellectual disability. Results: The average values of body mass index exceed the values recommended by the WHO among all the five groups (boys and girls with and without intellectual disabilities) prone to obesity. Upon analysing the values of BMI by gender and type of intellectual disability, we note that the prevalence of obesity among boys is 28.07% (BMI > 24), while 19.29% are overweight (BMI ranging between 21.5 and 24). Conclusions: The prevalence of excess weight and obesity among persons with intellectual disabilities was similar among the male and female subjects. It shows an increasing trend by age.

Compared to the tremendous volume of studies focusing on children and teenagers without disabilities, research regarding weight and body composition among young populations with an intellectual disability is relatively rare. Their number further decreases when we refer to specific age groups with intellectual deficits, such as children and adolescents younger than 18. In addition, studies are even scarcer when we wish to compare groups of subjects with different degrees of intellectual disability by gender. This study has a constative nature. The research sample comprises 212 subjects—girls and boys with an average age of 17.7 ± 0.2, divided into six groups by gender and type of intellectual disability. The parameters considered within the study include anthropometrical data and body composition determined using a professional device (Tanita MC 580 S). The findings of this study highlight the impact of intellectual disability on body composition in this age category. We hope it will help develop efficient strategies, recommendations, and intervention plans to ensure active participation in physical activities and categorisation within the optimal parameters of body composition indicators.

The purpose of the study was identified by the effort to complement the standard sports training programme with a portfolio of innovative means and methods to optimise the process of achieving performance in gymnastics competitions. The group of subjects investigated was female and consisted of 19 gymnasts, aged 10 - 12 years. They were tested initially and finally to determine the effects that going through the training program had on the analyzed indicators. The Matorin, Flamingo, Balance Plate Position Maintenance and the "Y" tests were used in the research. We used descriptive statistics (Arithmetic Mean, Standard Deviation, Median, Confidence Interval and Coefficient of Variation) and significance tests which were used to assess the statistical significance of the difference between the means for two sets of scores (STUDENT paired sample t-test and Wilcoxon test). Based on the results recorded, we identified a significant difference between the mean values for the two tests. Following the results obtained, we can confirm that they help to form an overall picture from the perspective of motor skills on gymnasts and that there is a significant effectiveness of the motor intervention program in the sports training process.

Background and Objectives: Cortisol is a valuable marker for assessing the body’s response to any form of stress. We conducted this study in order to evaluate the variations of salivary and serum cortisol levels in professional football players in relation to cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) and their significance in potentially evaluating overtraining in athletes. Also, the question of whether salivary cortisol determination could fully substitute serum sampling was addressed. Materials and Methods: A total of 19 male professional football players were evaluated by measuring serum cortisol levels at rest (T0) and immediately after a CPET (T1) and salivary cortisol levels at rest (T0), 10 min after a CPET (T2), and 30 min after a CPET (T3). Results: T0 serum cortisol showed a statistically significant correlation with the oxygen uptake at the anaerobic threshold divided by the body weight (VO₂-AT/weight), as did the T2 salivary cortisol with the maximum oxygen uptake at the anaerobic threshold (VO₂-AT) and VO₂-AT/weight. T0 salivary cortisol was significantly correlated with the subjects’ height and the predicted O₂ pulse. Conclusions: While some correlations were discovered, they are insufficient to recommend cortisol as a routine biomarker in athletes’ evaluation. However, significant correlations were established between salivary and serum determinations, meaning that the non-invasive procedure could substitute venous blood sampling.

Body scheme plays a crucial role in child development. This influences both the growth and the development of the individual. If the scheme is properly integrated body, the individual will develop harmoniously, but if there are disturbances of body schema, it can interfere with the growth and development of the child. Body scheme is an element underpinning the construction of individual personality, is vital to this process and enhancing self-esteem. Investigative approach comes to prove the correlation between body scheme in line with the maturing child. The previous statement is the premise of research and will be verified by two tests. Call and send test results relevant to the objective of the research: a well-defined scheme favors body location in space, the execution of daily actions and relationships with people around you.