Background/Objectives: Lately, there has been a greater focus on the function of the dento-mandibular apparatus, specifically on the location of the jaw and occlusion. Given the new potential insights, the current study aimed to comprehensively analyze the published literature on the use of occlusal splints and their effects on exercise performance. Methods: A search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for papers published between 2014 and 2024. Starting from the 128 identified records, 28 were finally included for review. Results: The extensive literature review revealed significant diversity in the experimental conditions, suggesting that the occlusal splints may enhance exercise performance and support dental health. Conclusions: The present study highlights the growing interest in occlusal splints research and its impact on sport and exercise science. Mouthguards or occlusal splints should continue to be worn in sports with a considerable risk of orofacial injury. Regardless of how they affect performance, mouthguards or occlusal splints are crucial for athletes in many sports to prevent oral and dental injuries.

COVID-19 had a considerable impact on the physical activity and mental health of university students, with university students experiencing the most severe effects. Physical activity and mental health are critical for university students as they play a vital role in academic performance, overall well-being, and long-term health. Our study aimed to explore the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on students' physical health and mental well-being, focusing on how the disruption impacted both their physical activity levels and psychological health. This literature review analyzed 47 studies to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the physical activity and mental health of university students. Our findings indicate that COVID-19 lockdowns have led to several adverse effects, including concerns about inadequate nutritional intake, increased alcohol consumption, reduced physical activity, and prolonged sedentary behavior among university students. In conclusion, tailored interventions are necessary to support students' mental health and physical activity, with home-based exercises, including endurance and strength training, offering a potential solution. Future research should explore the long-term effectiveness and sustainability of virtual physical education and remote fitness interventions..

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of jump rope training on cardiovascular capacity, assessed with the Ruffier test, and muscular strength, measured using isometric dynamometry (BioFET Mustec, Almere, The Netherlands), within a university physical education program. A total of 52 undergraduate students from non-specialist faculties at the University of Oradea were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (EG) or a control group (CG). Over eight weeks, the EG performed a ten-minute jump rope training session once per week in combination with cardiovascular exercises, while the CG participated only in cardiovascular exercises. Statistical analyses revealed a significant group effect on cardiovascular response (Ruffier Index: p = 0.019; Cohen’s d = −0.271) and a substantial increase in right lower limb strength (p = 0.003; d = 1.026) in the EG compared to the CG. Furthermore, improvements were observed in upper limb strength (left arm: p = 0.010; d = 0.922) and left lower limb strength (p = 0.027; d = 0.779). These findings suggest that incorporating jump rope training into university physical education classes may represent an effective and low-cost strategy to enhance both cardiovascular efficiency and muscular strength in young adults. Given its simplicity and affordability, jump rope training appears feasible for implementation in schools and universities, even where resources are limited. Future research should investigate its long-term effects across different populations.

Background: Reaction time and coordination are key performance components in team sports such as handball, particularly during the developmental years. Integrating visual and cognitive stimuli through smart technologies has been shown to facilitate motor skill development in young athletes. Methods: This study evaluated the effects of a BlazePod-based training protocol on reaction time, visuomotor coordination, movement quickness, and change-of-direction performance in junior male handball players aged 12–14 years. Thirty-two athletes (mean age = 13.37 ± 0.29 years) were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 16), in which the traditional neuromotor/coordination block of regular practice was replaced with BlazePod-based drills three times per week for eight weeks, or to a control group (n = 16), which trained the same capacities with traditional handball-specific exercises without technology. Training frequency (3 sessions/week), session duration (90 min), and the workload of the 30 min neuromotor block were matched between groups. Motor performance was assessed using four tests: Focus Reactions, Fast Feet, Clap Challenge, and the Agility T-Test. Paired- and independent-samples t-tests were applied to compare pre- and post-intervention scores. Results: The experimental group showed significant within-group improvements in Focus Reactions (p = 0.002) and AgilTT_ShuffleLeft (p = 0.014), whereas the control group showed no improvements and a small but significant worsening in Focus Reactions. Between-group comparisons at post-test revealed significant differences in favor of the experimental group for Fast Feet (p = 0.036), Clap Challenge (p = 0.008), AgilTT_Overall (p < 0.001), and AgilTT_SprintBack (p = 0.003). Conclusions: The integration of BlazePod technology into handball training produced measurable improvements in reaction speed and lateral agility among junior players. These findings suggest that technology-assisted neuromotor training represents a viable training modality that can replace a traditional neuromotor block within youth handball practice while maintaining overall training dose.

Problem statement: This study aims to show the correlation between anxiety and emotional distress and the different types of attention in juniors’ ski performance, age 11 to 15 years, from Romania. This experimental study is part of a large research on introducing the neurolinguistic programming techniques in training, as well as mental training techniques and its effects, to increase the performance.PurposeWe studied the rapport and correlation between focusing the attention and anxiety. The main objective of mental training through neurolinguistic techniques is to support individual and group sporting activities in any situation (e.g., workout or competition) to increase performance capacity. We also wantedto finddataprocessinggenderdifferences, which werecalculated utilizingthe t-testfor independent samples.MethodsWe applied the following tests in the competition days in control group and experimental group: EMAS for testing the anxiety, PDE for emotional distress, MA for focusing the attention, AP2 for observational sense, and AD for distributive attention. The statistical analysisof datawas performed utilizing SPSS.Findings and results: The results show the profile of all the skiers who participated innational championshipsports clubsin terms ofspecificanxiety,emotional distress, and variousmanifestations ofattention. These results willdetermine howwe will applythe mental trainingtechniquesforathletes in experimental groups,respectivelyneurolinguisticprogrammingspecific toeach sport. It will also help us toapplycertain techniquesdifferentlyby gender

Limited research has explored the impact of balance training on young alpine skiers, despite its recognized importance in the sport. This study evaluated the effects of a 10-week dry-land balance training program on the balance and skiing technique of skiers aged 9–11 years. The program employed five training modalities: neuromuscular, plyometric, core stability, proprioceptive, and equipment-based balance training. Thirty participants were divided into experimental and control groups based on their initial SKI IQ scores. The assessments included static balance (BTS P-Walk), explosive power (BTS G-Walk), and on-snow metrics (SKI IQ; balance, pressure, and edging) using CARV technology. The statistical analysis revealed significant improvements in the experimental group for the SKI IQ (F = 13.239; p = 0.001; η² = 0.321) in terms of the balance metric (F = 4.800; p = 0.037) and pressure metric (F = 8.084; p = 0.008), and for the static balance parameters, such as mediolateral stability in a two-legged stance (F = 4.304; p = 0.047; η² = 0.133) and anteroposterior stability in eyes-closed conditions (F = 14.249; p = 0.001; η² = 0.337). The single-leg stance stability and explosive force (F = 6.08; p = 0.02) also showed marked enhancements. The edging performance, however, showed no significant change. This study underscores the value of balance training for enhancing young skiers’ performance metrics and highlights wearable technology as an effective tool for real-time feedback. Integrating balance-focused programs into alpine skiing preparation can boost performance.