Background/Objectives: Despite extensive research on caffeine’s (CAF’s) ergogenic effects, evidence regarding its impact on anaerobic performance in female athletes remains limited and inconclusive. The aim of this study was to investigate the acute effects of 6 mg/kg⁻¹ caffeine on anaerobic performance, functional strength, agility, and ball speed in female soccer players. Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design was employed. Thirteen moderately trained female soccer players (age: 21.08 ± 1.11 years; height: 161.69 ± 6.30 cm; weight: 59.69 ± 10.52 kg; body mass index (BMI): 22.77 ± 3.50 kg/m²; training age: 7.77 ± 1.16 years; habitual caffeine intake: 319 ± 160 mg/day) completed two experimental trials (caffeine vs. placebo (PLA)), separated by at least 48 h. Testing sessions included performance assessments in vertical jump (VJ), running-based anaerobic sprint test (RAST), bilateral leg strength (LS), handgrip strength (HS), single hop for distance (SH), medial rotation (90°) hop for distance (MRH), change of direction (COD), and ball speed. Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) was also recorded. Results: CAF ingestion significantly improved minimum (p = 0.011; d = 0.35) and average power (p = 0.007; d = 0.29) during RAST. A significant increase was also observed in SHR (single leg hop for distance right) performance (p = 0.045; d = 0.44). No significant differences were found in VJ, COD, ball speed, LS, HS, SHL, MRHR, or MRHL (p > 0.05). RPE showed a moderate effect size (d = 0.65) favoring the CAF condition, though not statistically significant (p = 0.110). Conclusions: In conclusion, acute CAF intake at a dose of 6 mg/kg⁻¹ may enhance anaerobic capacity and lower-limb functional strength in female soccer players, with no significant effects on jump height, agility, or upper-body strength.

The development of students’ skills, abilities, competences and knowledge is the basis for sustainable socio-economic development. Today we live in a world that is in continuous change, both economically and socially, which also determines a change in the requirements on the labor market and therefore graduates and higher education institutions must continuously adapt to these changes. Thus, higher education institutions must adapt their teaching strategies and educational offer, while students must develop new skills and competences. The main purpose of this article is to analyze the extent to which the information, skills, attitudes and competences acquired by graduates of physical education and sports faculties during their years of study influence their standard of living, job satisfaction and confidence. To achieve this objective, we asked the following research questions: 1. To what extent do the information, skills, abilities and competences acquired by students during their years of study influence their income level, standard of living, job satisfaction and level of confidence in the workplace? 2. What is the self-perception of students regarding the information, skills, abilities and knowledge that students possess? 3. What is the perception of employers regarding the information, skills, abilities and knowledge that students possess? 4. To what extent are there differences between students’ self-perception and employers’ perception regarding the information, skills, abilities and knowledge that students possess? Thus, data were collected through two questionnaires, one distributed among 333 graduates from physical education and sports faculties in Romania and one to 11 employers working in the sports industry in Romania. The data obtained from the students were analyzed using SPSS 24, and it was found that there is a small correlation between the information, skills, competences and knowledge acquired during the years of study and the standard of living, job satisfaction and the confidence in one’s own ability to successfully perform tasks at work. Among the skills, abilities and aptitudes that students consider themselves to excel in are a passion for sports, the continuous desire for improvement, conscientiousness, teamwork, openness to new things and respect for hierarchies and regulations. At the opposite end, graduates consider that they need to improve their public speaking skills, management skills, their ability to communicate in a foreign language, their ability to sell themselves and their ability to manage a project.

This study investigated the influence of biological maturity status on anthropometric, body composition, and physical performance characteristics in elite youth male basketball players. A total of 140 players (15.12 ± 0.78 years) competing in national elite programs were categorized as early, on-time, or late maturers according to years from peak height velocity (PHV). Each participant completed a standardized testing battery including anthropometric assessments, body composition analysis (InBody 720), countermovement jump (CMJ) with and without arm swing, drop jump from 40 cm (DJ40), linear sprints over 5–20 m, and agility tests (t-test and Lane Agility). Between-group differences were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests, while partial eta squared (ηp²) and magnitude-based inference (MBI) were applied to assess effect size and practical significance. Significant differences were observed across maturity groups (p < 0.05), with early maturers being taller, heavier, and more muscular than their on-time and late-maturing peers. Large effects were found for height (ηp² = 0.667) and body mass (ηp² = 0.455), and moderate-to-large effects for jump, sprint, and agility performance (ηp² = 0.051–0.166). MBI results indicated that most differences between early and late maturers were “very likely” or “almost certain,” highlighting their practical relevance. These findings confirm that biological maturity substantially affects physical and performance profiles in adolescent basketball players and underscore the importance of maturity-informed approaches such as bio-banding and individualized training to ensure fair evaluation and equitable talent development in youth sport.

This study aimed to examine position-specific physical demands among elite U19 football players competing in a 4-3-3 formation, using data collected via STATSports GPS technology. A total of 23 players from a top-tier Bosnian club, FK “Sarajevo”, were monitored during 26 official matches in the 2024/2025 season. Match data included total distance, distance in six speed zones, high-speed running (HSR), sprint distance, number of sprints, maximum speed, and acceleration/deceleration events. One-way ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc analyses revealed significant positional differences across all performance metrics (p < 0.05). Central midfielders (CMs) covered the greatest total distance and distance per minute, while side defenders (SD) and forwards (FWs) recorded the highest values in sprint distance, HSR, and sprint frequency. Central defenders (CDs) consistently demonstrated the lowest outputs in high-speed and sprint metrics. These findings highlight the distinct physical profiles required for each playing position in a 4-3-3 system and provide practical insights for designing position-specific training and load management strategies in elite youth football.

The objective was to investigate the effects of auditory environments on postural balance during cognitive tasks. Nineteen individuals with intellectual disabilities, aged between 15 and 19, participated in the study. The assessment involved center of pressure (CoP) measurements on both firm and foam surfaces under open-eye (OE) and closed-eye (CE) conditions. During these assessments, participants were exposed to nature sounds and noise sounds while performing counting and verbal fluency tasks. The results showed that nature sounds on a firm surface under OE conditions during counting demonstrated a significant decrease in CoP values (p = 0.037), indicating improved postural balance. However, noise sounds on foam surfaces during counting and verbal fluency showed increased CoP values, reflecting impaired postural balance (p < 0.05). In conclusion, nature sounds on a firm surface with OE during counting improved postural balance. Conversely, noise sounds on foam surfaces during counting and verbal fluency tasks impaired postural balance.

The development of students’ skills, abilities, competences and knowledge is the basis for sustainable socio-economic development. Today we live in a world that is in continuous change, both economically and socially, which also determines a change in the requirements on the labor market and therefore graduates and higher education institutions must continuously adapt to these changes. Thus, higher education institutions must adapt their teaching strategies and educational offer, while students must develop new skills and competences. The purpose of this article is to analyze the extent to which the information, skills, attitudes and competences acquired by graduates of physical education and sports faculties during their years of study influence their income level, standard of living and job satisfaction. The article also aims to compare students’ perceptions of their skills and employers’ perceptions of students' skills and to identify which skills students need to improve. Thus, data were collected through two questionnaires, one distributed among 333 graduates from physical education and sports faculties in Romania and one to 11 employers working in the sports industry in Romania. The data obtained from the students were analyzed using SPSS and it was found that there is a significant correlation between the information, skills, competences, knowledge acquired during the years of study and income, standard of living, degree of satisfaction at work, confidence in one's own ability to successfully perform tasks at work, desire to change the field of work or desire to emigrate. Among the skills, abilities and aptitudes that students consider themselves to excel in are passion for sports, continuous desire for improvement, conscientiousness, teamwork, openness to new things and respect for hierarchies and regulations. At the opposite end, graduates consider that they need to improve their public speaking skills, management skills, ability to communicate in a foreign language, ability to sell themselves and ability to manage a project. By comparing with the perception of employers, it was found that graduates tend to overestimate their abilities.