The most commonly used reaction time tests within the athlete community require appropriate testing conditions and equipment, most frequently laboratory ones, which are not suitable for testing athletes in their natural environment and do not fully represent athletes’ natural capabilities and the influence of the surrounding environment. Therefore, this study’s goal is to compare the simple reaction times (SRTs) of cyclists during tests in laboratory conditions and in natural cycling surroundings. The young cyclists (55 participants) took part in the study. The SRT was measured in a quiet laboratory room with the use of the special device. During riding and standing with a bike outdoors, the necessary signal was captured and transmitted by a folic tactile sensor (FTS) and an extra intermediary circuit (both invented by our team member) connected to a muscle activity measurement system (Noraxon DTS Desktop, Scottsdale, AZ, USA). The results showed that external conditions significantly affect the SRT, with it being the longest when riding and the shortest if measured in an isolated laboratory room, but without an effect of gender. Typically, men have a shorter reaction time, but our result supports other observations, where people with an active lifestyle show no sex differentiation in SRT. The proposed FTS with an intermediary circuit allowed us to measure SRT with the use of non-dedicated equipment and avoid buying a new one for a single specific use.

Introduction: Ice hockey is a physically demanding sport that requires a combination of aerobic and anaerobic capacities, as well as specific on-ice skills. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of individualized interval training on a slide board with training on a cyclo-ergometer, focusing on aerobic capacity and specific fitness in elite ice hockey players. Materials and Methods: Thirty players were randomly divided into an experimental (slide board) and a control (cyclo-ergometer) group. Both groups underwent a 6-week training program with the same intensity and volume. Results: The results showed that both forms of training led to significant improvements in aerobic capacity, as indicated by VO2max and VO2 lactate thresholds. The slide board training group demonstrated higher effect sizes (d = 1.49, 1.62) than the cyclo-ergometer one (0.76, 0.43). Specific on-ice performance tests showed that slide board training resulted in faster skating times (p = 0.0002), suggesting a greater transfer of training effects to on-ice skills. Conclusions: This study highlights the benefits of incorporating slide board interval training into the off-season training regimen of elite ice hockey players. Slide board training improves specific on-ice skills, which are crucial for high-level hockey performance. These findings provide valuable insights for coaches and strength and conditioning specialists working with elite ice hockey players.

Background/Objectives: COVID-19 poses significant physiological challenges for athletes, particularly those engaged in high-intensity intermittent sports such as ice hockey. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection—especially symptomatic cases—on aerobic and anaerobic performance in professional ice hockey players. Methods: Fifty athletes from the Polish Hockey League were assigned to three groups: control (CG, n = 13), asymptomatic COVID-19 (NSG, n = 28), and symptomatic COVID-19 with post-infection SpO₂ < 90% (WSG, n = 9). Each underwent assessments at three time points—pre-preparatory period 2020/2021, post-preparatory period 2020/2021, and pre-preparatory period 2021/2022. Aerobic capacity was measured via a progressive cycle ergometer test (VO₂max, VO₂ at lactate threshold [VO_2Lt], minute ventilation [V’E], breathing frequency [BF], and lactate clearance rate [ΔLa]), and anaerobic capacity via a 30 s Wingate test (relative mean power). Results: Compared with CG and NSG, symptomatic athletes exhibited significant post-infection declines in VO₂max (48.2 ± 2.9 vs. 56.2 ± 6.2 and 54.6 ± 3.9 mL/kg/min; p = 0.006, d = 1.56 vs. CG; p < 0.024, d = 1.79 vs. NSG) and VO_2Lt (p < 0.05). Relative mean power also decreased in WSG (p < 0.05). In contrast, CG and NSG improved or maintained these metrics over the same period. Symptomatic players showed elevated BF post infection (p = 0.022, d = 1.72) and reduced V’E (p = 0.035; d = 0.83), while ΔLa was markedly lower (p = 0.0004; d = 2.86). Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 infection, particularly symptomatic cases, can significantly impair both aerobic and anaerobic capacity in elite hockey players. Targeted recovery protocols are essential for restoring performance in affected athletes.

The use of modern materials in sports, in terms of chemical composition and surface texture, entails both progress in results and an increasing discrepancy in the technical parameters of the equipment used. This paper aims to demonstrate the differences between balls admitted to a league and world championships in composition, surface texture, and the influence of these parameters on the water polo game. This research compared two new balls produced by top companies producing sports accessories (Kap 7 and Mikasa). To obtain the goal, the measurement of the contact angle, analysis of the material using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and optical microscopic evaluation were used. The analysis of the surface free energy shows significant differences (Kap 7 32.16 mJ/m², Mikasa 36.48 mJ/m²). In the case of both balls, anisotropies of the structure of the furrows were observed, however, the Mikasa ball is slightly more homogeneous than the Kap 7 ball. The obtained results from the analysis of the contact angle, as well as the composition and real feedback from the players, indicated the need to standardize the material aspect of the regulations so that the sports results are repeatable every time.

Post-industrial cities increasingly present science, health and physical activity as engines of sustainable transformation, yet residents’ own expectations are rarely measured before programmes are designed. This study examined how the inhabitants of Katowice (Poland) and people functionally linked with the city view the sciences of physical culture as a resource for the sustainable transformation of a post-industrial city, and modelled their expectations in the fields of physical culture, sport and recreation in the run-up to the city’s designation as European City of Science 2024. A convergent mixed-methods design (November 2022) combined a non-probability, mixed-mode survey of 500 respondents (a broad and diverse, but not representative, sample) with focus groups involving 130 residents, sector representatives and elite athletes. Exploratory principal component analysis identified four dimensions explaining 58.2% of the variance (α = 0.85–0.90): perceived quality of the current offer, demand for development, valuation of physical-culture science and health, and institutional and ambassadorial visibility; a sensitivity analysis using polychoric correlations and oblique rotation reproduced the allocation of 29 of the 30 items, although the structure still requires confirmatory validation. Valuation of science and health was the highest-rated dimension (M = 4.20) and rose with education and age (ε² = 0.13 for both). Self-rated physical activity was the only predictor significant across three of four dimensions in adjusted models, although the explained variance was modest (R² = 0.06–0.17). Only 35.2% of respondents were satisfied with health-promoting classes, whereas 80.6–90.0% rated health-related knowledge and healthy ageing as important, suggesting a possible mismatch between priorities and perceived provision. The findings are translated into five context-specific pillars for health-oriented policy in Katowice and into conditional lessons for other post-industrial cities.