Food supplements contain a variety of combinations of vitamins, minerals, plant extracts, and other substances. Any physical effort requires energy from balanced and healthy nutrition. This research aimed to identify the categories of dietary supplements used by active and very active participants who attend the sports and leisure centers from Targu Mures city. The survey was developed in paper and online forms using the Internet and supported multimedia and self-administration. The sample consists of 517 subjects chosen randomly from the research population and divided into the active and highly active PAI subgroups based on age, education, and gender. IBM SPSS Statistics Version 20.0 was used to process the collected data. All data were analysed descriptively. Differences between independent groups were assessed using an Independent sample t-test and a Chi-square test. Statistical significance was accepted when p < 0.05. Additionally, a Pearson correlation was done. The most representative age category was between 18 and 22 years old (42.7%), the ones using dietary supplements most frequently. There were significant differences by group of age regarding the consumption of food supplements (p < 0.05) and also by gender (p < 0.05).

Background and Objectives: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a prevalent condition that impairs quality of life, functionality, and work productivity. While most acute episodes of back pain resolve, 4–25% become chronic due to factors such as high pain intensity, psychological distress, and maladaptive behaviors. Nonspecific CLBP is best understood through the biopsychosocial model, encompassing biological, psychological, and social influences, including kinesiophobia. Management relies on physical activity, pain education, and psychological interventions, with therapist knowledge and attitudes affecting outcomes. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of CLBP among healthcare workers, examine their knowledge of pain neurophysiology, evaluate kinesiophobia, and explore how personal experience with CLBP influences their beliefs, attitudes, and interactions with patients. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted from January to May 2025 among healthcare professionals. A total of 50 participants completed an online questionnaire, of which 42 were valid and included in the analysis. The questionnaire collected demographic and professional data, determined the presence of CLBP, and included three standardized instruments: the Revised Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire (rNPQ) to assess knowledge of pain mechanisms, the Health Care Providers’ Pain and Impairment Relationship Scale (HC-PAIRS) to evaluate beliefs about pain and disability, and the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK-11) to measure fear of movement. Data were analyzed using SPSS and Microsoft Excel. Results: Among the 42 participants, 11 demonstrated low, 28 moderate, and 3 high knowledge of pain neurophysiology (rNPQ), with a mean score of 5.66. On the HC-PAIRS, the majority (30 participants) scored above 60, indicating beliefs that pain leads to disability, while 12 scored below 60, reflecting a biopsychosocial perspective; gender did not significantly affect HC-PAIRS scores (p = 0.213). As for kinesiophobia (TSK-11), 24 participants had low, 17 moderate, and 1 clinically significant fear of movement. Correlation analysis revealed that younger participants had higher rNPQ scores (r = −0.358, p = 0.020) and lower TSK-11 scores (r = −0.389, p = 0.011). TSK-11 scores increased with age (r = 0.432, p = 0.004), while HC-PAIRS scores showed no significant correlations. Conclusions: Healthcare professionals, particularly physiotherapists, show gaps in knowledge of pain neurophysiology and a tendency toward biomedical beliefs regarding chronic low back pain. This cross-sectional study indicates that a greater understanding of pain mechanisms is associated with lower kinesiophobia, emphasizing the importance of education. Integrating the biopsychosocial model into undergraduate and continuing professional training, through interdisciplinary and practical modules, may improve knowledge, reduce maladaptive fear-avoidance behaviors, and enhance patient care. Future studies should include larger, more diverse samples and assess the long-term impact of educational interventions on clinical practice.

Background/Objectives: This retrospective study aimed to evaluate whether PRP infiltrations improve quadriceps muscle strength recovery following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), while minimizing the recovery time required to resume daily activities and sports. Numerous studies have explored the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in treating ACL injuries. PRP therapy has demonstrated high efficacy in accelerating ligament healing in animal models. However, clinical trials involving human participants have reported inconsistent results regarding the effects of PRP on ACL reconstruction outcomes. Methods: Between 2020 and 2024, a total of 68 subjects who underwent ACLR were included in the study. Participants were divided into two groups, namely a treatment group that followed a standard rehabilitation protocol and received PRP infiltrations, and a control group that followed the same protocol without PRP treatment. Muscle strength was assessed using the isometric max strength balance (IMSB) test and the concentric max strength balance (CMSB) test, both performed using the Kineo Intelligent Load device (Globus Kineo 7000, Italian Excellence, Rome, Italy). Results: The results of IMSB test showed a significant difference between treatment groups according to a two-way ANOVA test (F(1, 198) = 7.345; p = 0.0073). The PRP-treated group showed significantly higher quadriceps muscle strength at 6 months (34.9 ± 9.6 vs. 30.0 ± 8.2 kg). The CMSB test also showed a significant difference at 6 months (F(1, 198) = 5.976; p = 0.00154), with the PRP-treated group having significantly higher concentric muscle strength (35.5 ± 9.5 vs. 30.7 ± 8.5 kg). Conclusions: These findings suggest that post-ligamentoplasty PRP infiltrations may have beneficial effects on muscle strength recovery. However, further prospective studies with larger sample sizes are necessary to confirm these results.

Background and Objectives: Hamstring strength deficits are common after ACL reconstruction and may impair stability and increase reinjury risk. Despite structured rehabilitation, early postoperative asymmetries frequently persist. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has emerged as a potential biologic adjunct that may enhance tissue healing and facilitate muscle strength recovery. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of intra-articular PRP injections on hamstring strength restoration in non-professional athletes undergoing ACLR. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed 68 non-professional athletes who underwent primary ACLR between 2020 and 2024. Participants followed a standardized, phase-appropriate rehabilitation program and were allocated to either a PRP group (n = 34; five intra-articular PRP injections every 4 weeks starting at week 4 postoperatively) or a control group (n = 34; rehabilitation alone). Data were analyzed with linear mixed-effects models to examine group, time, and group-by-time interactions. Results: Both groups improved over time, but PRP influenced faster hamstring strength recovery and greater symmetry. At 20 weeks, the PRP group achieved higher concentric strength (15.6 ± 4.3 vs. 13.6 ± 3.5; p = 0.040) and markedly reduced asymmetry (isometric: –1.1 vs. 0.6; p < 0.001; concentric: –0.6 vs. 1.9; p < 0.001). Conclusions: The addition of serial PRP injections to a structured rehabilitation protocol after ACLR influenced faster hamstring strength recovery and improved interlimb symmetry compared to rehabilitation alone. These findings suggest that PRP may serve as a potential biologic adjunct to optimize postoperative outcomes and facilitate a safer return to sport in non-professional athletes.

The pandemic was a difficult time for everyone, both students and teachers, and the adaptation to the online environment was different. Because physical tests for motor skills assessment were more difficult to perform, one aspect of online assessment was eye-hand coordination. The purpose of this study is to find an alternative to the assessment of psychomotor skills (especially eye-hand coordination) in the online environment during the pandemic. For the elaboration of the study, we established the following hypotheses: H1: There are gender differences in eye-hand coordination H2: Instruments used in the online environment cause changes in assessment eye-hand coordination Material and methods: The assessment was done by applying specific online tests that allowed participants to self-assess. The study was attended by 80 students (40F, 40B) from the "Sport High School Szasz Adalbert" from Targu Mures, Romania. The study was conducted during the 2020-2021 school year. The tests for eye–hand coordination were Sequence memory test, Chimp test, Aim trainer, Typing, Verbal memory, Number memory, Visual memory, and Reaction Time and which were conducted on the site www.humanbenchmark.com. Subjects participated voluntarily in this study and must submit online, by completing a table in Excel, the results of specific tests for initial and final assessment. Results: The Excel database was exported to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 24 I.B.M. for Windows). It included descriptive statistics of mean, standard deviation, and the frequency of occurrence expressed in absolute values or percentages. A T test for independent sample and T-test for pair sample was applied. The results obtained were significant for p-value under 0.05 Conclusion: Hypothesis H1 that there are gender differences in terms of hand-eye coordination- the obtained results deny this. Only 2 tests out of 8 showed that there are significant differences between boys and girls. In this case, we can say that the hypothesis is not confirmed. Regarding the second hypothesis H2, if there are improvements in hand-eye coordination between the two moments of the test, we can say that yes, there are, and this is confirmed in the result of both girls and boys. So the hypothesis is confirmed.