Although functional asymmetry is very common and normal in professional athletes, the better interlimb symmetry between dominant and nondominant sides (bilateral symmetry) could contribute to successful performance in basketball. The aim of this study was to evaluate the importance of bilateral symmetry of the one-leg jumping and agility performances in differentiating basketball players according to their (i) playing position (guards, forwards, and centers) and (ii) performance levels (first division vs. second division). The participants were 102 professional male basketball players, with all members of the teams competing in the two highest national divisions at the moment of testing (height: 194.92 ± 8.09 cm; body mass: 89.33 ± 10.91 kg; 21.58 ± 3.92 years of age). Performance levels (first division, N = 58 vs. second division, N = 44) and playing positions (guards, N = 48; forwards, N = 22; centers, N = 32) were observed as dependent variables. We measured one-leg jumping capacities (running vertical jump and lay-up vertical jump), basketball-specific preplanned agility (CODS), and basketball-specific reactive agility (RAG), all executed on dominant and nondominant sides. Accordingly, the bilateral symmetry of jumping and agility was calculated by calculating the ratio of the corresponding performances on the dominant and nondominant sides. Factorial analysis of variance (performance levels × positions) indicated that the bilateral symmetry of one-leg jumping differentiated players according to their playing position, with better bilateral symmetry among guards (F-test = 6.11 (medium effect size) and 5.81 (small effect size), p < 0.05 for lay-up and running-jump symmetry, respectively). Performance levels significantly differed in the bilateral symmetry of lay-up jump, with better symmetry for first-division players (F-test = 10.11 (medium effect size), p < 0.001), which was mostly influenced by significant differences among guards. Playing positions and performance levels did not differ in bilateral symmetry of the CODS and RAG. The study reveals the importance of bilateral symmetry of the sport-specific performance in differentiating playing positions and performance levels in basketball. Further studies in other multidirectional sports and other sport-specific performances are warranted.

To develop specific preventive strategies, it is necessary to investigate in detail the occurrence of injuries in young football players. This study aimed to provide details about the type, location, severity, and contact nature of muscle injuries in elite U15 Croatian football players. A total number of 130 muscle injuries occurred during the six competitive seasons, of which 88 were DOMS injuries and 42 were rupture injuries. Specifically, 87% of all muscle injuries belonged to the four major groups, with only 15 injuries to the other muscle groups: hamstrings (43), quadriceps (41), adductors (25), calves (6). The muscle injury incidence was stable during the observed period as the injury incidence rate ratio (IRR) was 1.01 (95%CI: 0.99–1.03), with 3.13 (95%CI: 3.09–3.17) muscle injuries per 1000 h of exposure in the first season and 3.06 (95%CI: 3.02–3.1) in the sixth season. A significantly higher risk for muscle injuries was discovered in the competition as the incidence for the whole observed period was 7.38 (95%CI: 7.29–7.47) compared to 2.25 (95%CI: 2.24–2.26) in the training period. Despite the relatively stable number of sustained muscle injuries, the relative proportion of muscular injuries increased over the years due to a severe decrease in the total number of injuries. Regarding the proportion of players who had sustained a muscle injury, our results suggest that approximately two out of five players can expect a muscular injury over the one-season period. Relatively high injury expectancy rates, as well as reinjury rates, require specific preventive interventions that will reduce the number and severity of new and recurred injuries. Future studies should include a wide set of predictor variables in order to establish the most important injury risk factors.

Oxidative potential and anaerobic capacity could be influential to the training regimen and performance of breath-hold diving (BHD) athletes. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the differences in local muscle oxygenation between the lower limbs according to the muscle mass percentage in spearfishermen and freedivers. The sample of participants included 21 BHD athletes (13 freedivers; 8 spearfishermen; 4 females). Their chronological age was 35.5 ± 8.6 years, body mass was 79.3 ± 9.1 kg, and height was 182.5 ± 13.0 cm. Participants’ training experience was 10.6 ± 9.5 years. The variables in this study included anthropometric indices, the Wingate anaerobic test, and muscle oxygen dynamics parameters. The results show significant differences for freedivers between the lower limbs (muscle mass percentage, p < 0.00; minimal SmO₂%, p = 0.05; and maximal SmO₂%, p = 0.04). However, when observing only spearfisherman, there is only one significant difference between the dominant and non-dominant lower limb (percentage of lower limb muscle mass, 85.73 ± 2.42, 85.16 ± 2.40%, respectively; p = 0.02). The results of this study demonstrate that freedivers have significant asymmetries between the lower limbs in muscle oxygenation parameters when observing the lower limb dominance in relation to the percentage of muscle mass. These findings suggest different muscular oxygenation adaptations to the load set upon athletes.

This study aimed to determine the differences in situational power performance between playing positions in handball. The following variables were analyzed: body height and weight, fastest shot, fastest sprint, highest jump, and average game time. The study sample comprised 412 handball players who participated at European championships. Backcourt players had the fastest shots and wing players presented the slowest shots among all playing positions. Wing players presented the fastest sprinting (29.09 km/h). Jumping performance showed the most diversity between the playing positions, and backcourt players jumped significantly higher than other players (16.76 cm).

The Wingate test is a widely spread test of anaerobic endurance and power in most sports. However, the standard model of the test is based upon a bicycle ergometer for evaluation of lower extremities, therefore, is poorly used in sports that demand a high level of upper body power. This research aims to determine the metric characteristics of the newly constructed arm crank Wingate test. The sample of participants is junior water polo players of VK Mornar Brodospas from Split, Croatia. Mean chronological age is 17-19 years and all participants participated in the test voluntarily. Results are showing a satisfactory level of reliability, homogeneity, and sensibility of measuring instrument and good application in sports such as water polo. Further research should include a bigger sample of participants and athletes from different sports.

Water polo lacks sport-specific anaerobic field tests that adequately reflect the physiological and respiratory demands of competition. The repeated sprint ability (RSA) test is commonly used to assess anaerobic performance; however, it does not account for the dynamic apnoea frequently experienced during match play. This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of a newly developed water polo-specific anaerobic swimming test (TP) that combines repeated sprint swimming with dynamic apnoea. The protocol was designed to provide a more ecologically valid assessment of water polo performance by incorporating respiratory constraints that mimic real-game situations. Ten elite junior male water polo players participated in the study. The TP test consisted of repeated maximal swimming efforts combined with dynamic apnoea. Reliability was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), coefficient of variation (CV), paired-samples t-test, and minimal detectable change (MDC). Criterion validity was examined through Pearson correlations between TP outcomes and RSA performance. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test confirmed normal data distribution for all variables (p > .20). The TP test demonstrated high relative reliability (ICC = .86), indicating good consistency between testing occasions. The coefficient of variation was 8.6%, suggesting moderate measurement variability, while a significant difference between test and retest scores was observed (t = 2.50). The MDC was 1.99. Criterion validity analysis revealed moderate positive correlations with RSA performance (test: r = .488; retest: r = .543), indicating that both protocols assess related aspects of anaerobic performance while capturing different physiological demands. The TP test showed satisfactory reliability and moderate criterion validity. By integrating dynamic apnoea into repeated sprint assessment, the protocol captures sport-specific respiratory and anaerobic demands not addressed by traditional RSA testing. Although further validation in larger samples is required, the TP test appears to be a practical tool for athlete profiling and performance assessment in water polo.