Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a global threat, leading to increased mortality and necessitating urgent action—however, its impact on athletes and the world of sports has hitherto been neglected. Sports environments (including athletic and aquatic) exhibit high levels of microbial contamination, potentially contributing to the spread of resistant microorganisms during physical activities. Moreover, the literature suggests that travel for sports events may lead to changes in athletes’ gut microbiomes and potentially impact their antibiotic resistance profiles, raising questions about the broader implications for individual and public/global health. The prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) among athletes (particularly those engaged in contact or collision sports) ranges between 22.4% and 68.6%, with MRSA strains being isolated in up to 34.9% of tested individuals. Factors such as training frequency, equipment sharing, delayed post-training showers, and a history of certain medical conditions are linked to higher colonization rates. Moreover, MRSA outbreaks have been documented in sports teams previously, highlighting the importance of implementing preventive measures and hygiene protocols in athletic settings. In light of the growing threat of AMR, there is a critical need for evidence-based treatment guidelines tailored to athletes’ unique physiological demands to ensure responsible antibiotic use and mitigate potential health risks. While various initiatives—such as incorporating AMR awareness into major sporting events—aim to leverage the broad audience of sports to communicate the importance of addressing AMR, proactive measures (including improved AMR surveillance during large sporting events) will be indispensable for enhancing preparedness and safeguarding both athletes’ and the general public’s health. This narrative review thoroughly assesses the existing literature on AMR and antibiotic usage in the context of sports, aiming to illuminate areas where information may be lacking and underscoring the significance of promoting global awareness about AMR through sports.

Judo elements rely on lower and upper body muscle power, supported by the ATP-PCr energy system, which is crucial in high-intensity tasks. This study aims to assess the anaerobic status of young male competitive judokas using the upper body Wingate test and explore associations with competition performance and individual morphological characteristics. A total of 29 male judokas from the U18 and U20 age categories were tested, all actively participating in top-tier national and international competitions. Anthropometric characteristics and body composition measurements were obtained for all participants through bioelectrical impedance analysis. Anaerobic testing was conducted using the upper body Wingate test with a hand ergometer. Competition performance was recorded from the final national cup ranking list. The results presented no statistically significant correlations between morphological and anaerobic variables and competitive performance among selected participants. This highlights the importance of the necessity of updated training programs to increase the anaerobic performance of young Slovenian judokas. Additionally, it shows that in these age groups, anaerobic performance is not the crucial factor but just one piece of the puzzle in young judokas’ successful competition performance; therefore other variables should be further researched.

To achieve technical efficiency in a judo fight, it is necessary to know the technical details of each throw. The tempo of a judo fight is highly intense, and it is necessary for the competitor to be physically very well prepared. Considering the tempo, an important factor in the fight is the influence of fatigue, which can significantly affect the performance of a technique. The aim of this research is to determine the kinematic parameters and the influence of the fatigue protocol during the performance of ippon seoi nage (ISN) throw. The sample of participants consists of 30 young judokas (17.02 ± 0.91 year; 72.81 ± 6.52 kg; 178.60 ± 5.60 cm). The following variables were observed with Xsens Awinda kinematic system: the angle of the left shoulder (L_shou_A); the angle of the right shoulder (R_shou_A); the difference in the height of the pelvis in the tsukuri phase (Pel_tsu_H); the difference in the height of the pelvis in the kake phase (Pel_kake_H); hand velocity (Hand_V); head position (Head_pos). The participants performed three ISN throws before and after the fatigue protocol. A statistically significant difference (MANOVA) was found between the measurements (F = 8.47; p = 0.00). Additionally, observing the differences between individual variables (ANOVA), a significant difference was found in all measured variables, with a statistical significance of p < 0.05. This research presents key kinematic parameters that had not yet been observed in this manner. Furthermore, based on the established differences, it can be concluded that the participants significantly disrupt the performance of the ISN throw technique in situational, i.e., fight, conditions.

(1) Background: The advancement of technologies has made morphological assessment rapid and reliable. A combination of 3D body scanning (3D-BS) and bioelectrical impedance (BIA) could be essential in monitoring the morphological status of athletes and the general population and their symmetries for coaches, researchers and medical professionals. (2) Methods: The current study presents the use of Inbody-720 BIA and 3D-BS NX-16 for analyzing the asymmetry profile of an athlete in 2 min on a sample of 106 male judo competitors from the following age categories: older boys—U14 (N = 24), younger cadets—U16 (N = 31), cadets—U18 (N = 17), juniors—U21 (N = 19) and seniors (N = 15). Variables observed were arm lean mass, upper arm, elbow, forearm and wrist girth, leg lean mass, thigh length, thigh, knee and calf girth. The paired sample t-test, asymmetry index (AI) and Kruskal–Wallis analysis were used at p ≤ 0.05; (3) Results: Morphological asymmetries were detected in all age categories: seniors—three, U21—four, U18—three, U16—five and U14—four. The most common asymmetrical variable in all categories was the forearm girth, while thigh length, knee girth and upper arm girth presented symmetrical variables in all age categories. AI showed that the size of the asymmetries did not differentiate between the age groups. (4) Conclusions: The current study demonstrated great potential for combining BIA and 3D-BS for rapid asymmetry detection that would allow for monitoring and quick adjustments to the training process in youth to senior age categories.

Background and study aim – Relation between anxiety and sport performance presents important topic in sport psychology. Studies prove that elevated anxiety may improve motor learning due to maximum allocation of all physical and mental resources in mastering a motor task. The main goal of this paper is to identify differences in anxiety and self-confidence before and after the process of learning a new motor task. Material and Methods - The level of anxiety during the learning process of 12 judo throwing techniques (side, leg, hand, sacrificial throws) was measured with a questionnaire CSAI-2C on 130 subjects. Subjects were asked to complete a questionnaire at the beginning and at the end of the learning process. Results – The results of this study showed that throwing techniques can be classified into three groups: 1.) there is no decrease or increase of anxiety and self – confidence (Tsuri-goshi, Osoto-gari, Tai-otoshi, Ippon-seoi-nage, Morote-seoi-nage and Okuri-ashi-harai); 2.) increase of anxiety and decrease in self – confidence (Harai-goshi); 3.) decrease of anxiety and increase of self – confidence (Ouchi-gari, Koshi-guruma, Uki-waza, Soto-makikomi and Tomoe-nage). Conclusions - The obtained results indicate the need for a different approach in teaching of throwing techniques to maximize the effectiveness of the learning process. Teacher or coach will have the biggest role in managing this perception of difficulty with use of proper teaching methods. Teaching of techniques should be based on difficulty and not only based on group of techniques they belong to.

Background: The official combat sports in the Olympic Games include fencing, taekwondo, wrestling, judo, boxing, and karate. Most current research indicates that participation in Olympic combat sports significantly improves the physical fitness of children and adolescents, but specific studies on its weight loss effects in this population remain relatively limited. This systematic review evaluated controlled Olympic combat-sport interventions for weight management and body composition in non-athlete children and adolescents. Methods: We searched five databases and platforms: PubMed, ProQuest, EBSCOhost, Web of Science (Core Collection), and Embase, up to 3 November 2025. Eleven reports met the eligibility criteria. Results: Four reports involved overweight or obese youth (three taekwondo and one judo intervention), and seven involved normal-weight participants (six judo and one taekwondo intervention). The studies differed substantially in populations, comparators, outcome definitions, and reporting. Reported within-group changes in body mass, BMI, and adiposity-related outcomes cannot alone establish comparative intervention effects. Among overweight or obese youth, the available taekwondo reports described favourable changes in selected adiposity-related outcomes, whereas evidence for judo and findings among normal-weight participants were inconsistent. In normal-weight children, changes in absolute body mass require interpretation alongside growth, maturation, and body-composition measures. Conclusions: The available evidence is limited, heterogeneous, and requires design-appropriate risk-of-bias reassessment. It does not support conclusions about fencing, boxing, wrestling, or karate. Future controlled trials should report prespecified, age- and sex-adjusted outcomes, complete between-group analyses, and adverse events.