Aim. The purpose of the current research was to investigate the dynamics of intersegmental coordination, with respect to athletes’ caliber (performance level) and gender. Material and method. Fifty-two athletes practicing karate – 35 athletes (21 men and 14 women) and taekwondo (TKD) – 17 athletes (11 men and 6 women) took part in the study ( M _age = 20.8 years). The RCMV test was used to measure athletes’ level of intersegmental coordination. The computerized test, assessing hand-foot coordination, makes it possible to identify key aspects of athletes’ psychomotor organization in various demanding situations. Results. The Kruskal-Wallis (H) test was used, along with the DSCF (Dwass-Steel-Critchlow-Fligner) post-hoc test to examine the characteristics of intersegmental coordination in athletes with outstanding (international-level) sports results. Three coefficients of the RCMV test stood out: working memory coefficient (p = 0.003, ε² = 0.23), resistance to disturbing visual factors (p = 0.006, ε² = 0.19), and field inspection (p = 0.030, ε² = 0.13), in tasks requiring intersegmental coordination. Next, Mann-Whitney test (U) was used to investigate the intersegmental coordination of karate and taekwondo practitioners separately, according to gender and athletes’ caliber. Conclusions. Athletes with international performances (Tier 4) demonstrated faster coordinated movements, were able to locate relevant stimuli in the environment more quickly, while their accuracy (in tasks requiring intersegmental coordination) was, also, higher in situations involving visual distractions. Female athletes practicing karate and TKD with international sports performances registered significantly better scores, also, for the overall performance at the RCMV test, compared to female athletes having national (Tier 3) or regional/local (Tier 2) sports results.

Volleyball physical performance relies on the interaction between mechanical power, metabolic efficiency, and ventilatory regulation during repeated high-intensity actions. This study examined mechanical and cardiopulmonary responses during three consecutive 15 s countermovement jump bouts in female volleyball players, using simultaneous cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Eighteen female athletes (18–28 years) completed the protocol with 60 s active recovery between efforts. Mechanical performance showed a progressive decline (p < 0.01), with jump height decreasing from 20.59 ± 3.04 cm to 19.30 ± 3.23 cm and power output from 15.80 ± 2.61 to 14.83 ± 2.25 W/kg (p = 0.001). Oxygen uptake (VO₂) increased from 16.40 ± 6.73 to 20.87 ± 6.08 mL/min/kg (p = 0.002), while respiratory exchange ratio (RER) rose above 1.0, suggesting a growing anaerobic contribution. VE/VO₂ and PetO₂ also increased significantly (p < 0.001), indicating ventilatory adjustment to metabolic stress. Despite these adaptations, recovery between efforts appeared incomplete, reflected by persistent ventilatory and metabolic activation. These findings suggest moderate oxidative efficiency and partial fatigue compensation under short recovery conditions. The testing model may serve as a practical approach to evaluate the interplay between mechanical and metabolic performance and to refine individualized conditioning strategies in volleyball players.

Backround and Objectives: Basketball performance is shaped by repeated high-intensity actions interspersed with brief recovery. Conventional continuous or strictly incremental testing may not fully capture short active-recovery dynamics relevant to stop-and-go sports. Material and Methods: This study applied a VT₂-referenced progressive–intermittent treadmill protocol and focused on 60-s active-recovery kinetics to describe effort tolerance in an applied basketball setting. Basketball players from Mureș County completed anthropometry (24 h pre-test, fasted) and a single laboratory visit. Pre-test training and diet were standardized for 48 h (submaximal training; predominantly carbohydrate intake). CPET was performed in 3-min stages (6.5 km·h⁻¹ start; +0.7 km·h⁻¹ per stage) and stopped at RER = 1.00 and/or blood lactate = 4.0 mmol·L⁻¹ (operational VT2). After 3 min active recovery, participants completed six 60-s high-speed bouts separated by 60-s active recovery intervals (AR1–AR6), with intensities prescribed at 120–180% of VT2-derived speed, followed by an 8-min active recovery. For each AR interval, linear regression over 0–60 s yielded slopes for VO₂, VO₂/HR, VCO₂, V̇E, VE/VO₂, VE/VCO₂, and PetCO₂. Results: VT₁ was determined at 2.29 m·s⁻¹ (VO₂ 32 mL·min⁻¹·kg⁻¹) and VT2 at 3.07 m·s⁻¹ (VO₂ 42 mL·min⁻¹·kg⁻¹). Maximal intermittent speed was 5.33 m·s⁻¹ (VO₂ 45.5 mL·min⁻¹·kg⁻¹; RER 1.06; PetCO₂ 38 mmHg). VO₂ differed across successive bouts (p = 0.0001), while PetCO₂ showed a small downward drift across repetitions. Peak indices (max speed, VE/VCO₂max, PetCO₂max, VEmax) were associated with phase-specific recovery slopes across early, mid, and late recovery periods (false discovery rate–adjusted correlations). Lactate decreased over 8 min, but lactate change rates were not associated with peak indices. Conclusions: The VT₂-referenced progressive–intermittent protocol appears feasible in basketball players and provides phase-dependent recovery information that complements conventional peak CPET outcomes, with potential relevance for applied team settings.