Background: The BMI index cannot always be used in people with intellectual disabilities due to neuromuscular coordination disorders and psychological barriers that may hinder conventional body weight measurement. The study aimed to assess the usefulness of BMI and BAI in estimating obesity and body fat in people with intellectual disabilities. Methods: The first stage of the research involved 161 people with profound intellectual disabilities. Somatic parameters (BM, BH, WC, HC) were measured and BMI, BAI, WHR were calculated. Fifty seven persons with above-normal BMI and BAI were included in the second stage of the study and biochemical parameters were determined (TC, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, TG, GL). Results: According to both BMI and BAI classifications, most people were overweight or obese. A high correlation of %BF with BMI and BAI indices was observed (r = 0.78). The sensitivity of both indices was 95.65%. In groups with above-normal BMI and BAI, an upward trend was found for mean values of TC, LDL, TG, and GL, with a simultaneous downward trend for HDL. Statistically significant intergroup differences were recorded for TG and GL (p < 0.05) for both indices (BMI and BAI). Conclusions: Our research demonstrated that BAI is complementary to BMI and can be recommended for the estimation of body fat and cardiometabolic risks in people with intellectual disabilities. Due to the ease of measurement, BAI has high utility value.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the acute effects of the bench press exercise with predetermined velocity loss percentage on subsequent bench press throw (BPT) performance with raised legs or feet on the floor among disabled, sitting volleyball players. Twelve elite sitting volleyball athletes (age = 33 ± 9 years; body mass = 84.7 ± 14.7 kg; relative bench press maximum strength = 1.0 ± 0.3 kg/body mass) took part in this study. The experiment was performed following a randomized crossover design, where each participant performed a single set of bench press with a 60% one-repetition maximum (1RM) to a 10% decrease of mean bar velocity as a conditioning activity (CA). The BPT with a 60%1RM was performed to assess changes in peak power (PP), peak velocity (PV) before and after the CA. The differences between analyzed variables before and after the CA were verified using two-way repeated-measures ANOVA (condition × time; 2 × 2). The ANOVA showed a significant main effect of time for peak bar velocity (p = 0.03; η² = 0.312) and peak power output (p = 0.037; η² = 0.294). The post hoc comparison showed a significant increase in post-CA peak bar velocity and peak power for raised legs condition in comparison with pre-CA value (p = 0.02, p = 0.041, respectively). The present study showed that the subsequent BPT performed with raised legs could be enhanced by the bench press with a 60% 1RM to a 10% mean bar velocity decrease as a CA among disabled sitting volleyball players. Therefore, athletes and coaches can consider performing a bench press throw with raised legs without compromising performance.

Introduction. Physical fitness is a resultant of the efficiency of adaptive mechanisms for physical effort. People with intellectual disabilities may exhibit limited adaptive capacities, not only regarding their mental development, but also physiological, social and emotional development....

Background: The last decade has seen the dynamic development of Paralympic sport, including the development of training facilities and training methods that allow for the achievement of results at the highest level in this group. This may be associated with an increased risk of injury and traumas. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and locations of injuries and the types of trauma suffered by goalball players. Methods: The study covered 43 players (24 women and 19 men) of the Goalball European Championship. A questionnaire survey was conducted. Results: The injuries were reported by 44%. Most often they concerned the upper limbs (92%). Positive correlations were found between age and prevalence of pelvis and knee joint injuries, whereas negative correlations occurred between competitive experience and the prevalence and location of injuries in the area of the upper limb. The highest percentage of trauma was found for epidermal abrasions, contusions, and dislocations. A negative correlation was observed between age and the prevalence of epidermal abrasions, whereas a positive correlation occurred between age and the prevalence of sprains and dislocations. The competitive experience was negatively correlated with the prevalence of abrasions and contusions and positively correlated with the prevalence of sprains and dislocations. A statistically significant correlation was found between body mass (BM) and the prevalence of injuries. In 23% of cases, training was interrupted for more than one month, whereas in 43%, the break was below one month. Conclusions: Playing position in goalball does not affect the prevalence of injuries and traumas, while body mass has a moderate effect on the prevalence of these events. The age of the subjects and their sports experience impact significantly on the prevalence and types of injuries.

Introduction: Although the assessment of physique and body composition poses methodological, technical, and interpretative difficulties, it is of great importance for the health of people with disabilities. The aim of the study was to demonstrate that sedentariness and sports activity are factors differentiating anthropometric characteristics, indices, and body composition in people with physical disabilities. Materials and methods: Fifty-eight people were examined: 48 elite Polish Para athletes, including Paralympic track and field athletes (PTF, n = 8), sitting volleyball players (SV, n = 15), wheelchair rugby players (WR, n = 25), and individuals with cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI, n = 10). Body mass (BM), body height (BH), body length (BL), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), body fat percentage (%FT), and visceral fat rating (VFR) were measured. Furthermore, BMI, BMIcorrected, and body adiposity index (BAI) were evaluated. Results: The highest WC, BAI, %FT, and VFR were found for the CSCI group. The type of sport significantly differentiated between anthropometric features, indices, and body composition of the athletes. Sitting volleyball players achieved the highest mean BM (83.9), WC (92.9), HC (103.7), BMI (24.5), BAI (23.4), and VFR (12.6). The highest %FT (28.9) was found in wheelchair rugby players. Conclusions: The results of the present study indicate that forced sedentariness and sports activity among individuals with disabilities differentiate body structure and physique.