Sports injuries were prevalent across various sports and resulted in temporary or permanent limitations in an athlete’s competitive performance. This research aimed to compile and analyze studies on sports injuries among basketball, handball, and volleyball players, with a particular focus on their frequency, nature, and variations based on gender and player position. A systematic search was conducted using digital databases, including PubMed, MEDLINE, ERIC, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect, covering the period from 2015 to 2025. The search strategy involved relevant keywords and their combinations related to injuries and athletes, selecting studies that explored injury types, locations, and preventive measures. The findings indicated that lower limb injuries were the most prevalent in all three sports. Basketball players frequently experienced knee and ankle injuries, and handball players were prone to knee injuries, while volleyball players most commonly sustained knee and foot injuries. Additionally, specific risk factors contributing to these injuries were identified. Preventive interventions, such as neuromuscular training and plyometric exercises, were found to effectively reduce injury rates across these sports. The majority of studies suggested that female athletes had a higher injury incidence compared to their male counterparts. This may be attributed to several factors, including hormonal differences (such as the effect of estrogen on ligament laxity), anatomical factors (e.g., a larger Q-angle in women), and differences in training practices that could predispose female athletes to higher injury rates. Furthermore, regardless of the sport, injuries occurred more frequently during competition and tended to increase with the physical demands of the game.

Artistic gymnastics is one of the most physically demanding sports, characterized by a high incidence of both acute and chronic injuries. Although previous research has primarily focused on biomechanical and training-related factors, the multifactorial etiology of injuries—including molecular and genetic aspects—remains insufficiently explored. This systematic review aimed to synthesize current evidence on the causes, mechanisms, and prevention of injuries in artistic gymnastics, with particular emphasis on biomechanical, molecular, and genetic determinants of injury risk and athletic performance. The review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines and was registered in the PROSPERO database (Registration No: CRD420251167521). Electronic databases (PubMed, KoBSON, and Google Scholar) were searched for studies published between 2015 and 2025 using the keywords “gymnastics injuries,” “overuse injuries,” “injury prevention,” “biomechanics,” “IL-6,” “TNF-α,” and “miRNA biomarkers.” Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed based on injury incidence, localization, mechanisms, and molecular and genetic associations. The majority of injuries were localized in the joints of both upper and lower extremities, particularly during puberty and at higher competitive levels. Repetitive loading, improper technique, and insufficient recovery were identified as the main etiological factors. Molecular biomarkers such as IL-6, TNF-α, and miRNAs (miR-155, miR-146a) were found to play key roles in inflammatory responses, while genetic polymorphisms including ACTN3 R577X, ESR1 rs2234693, and CYP19A1 rs936306 were associated with flexibility, explosive strength, and susceptibility to injury. Injury prevention in artistic gymnastics requires a personalized and multidisciplinary approach that integrates biomechanical, clinical, molecular, and genetic data. Incorporating molecular and genetic profiling into training and rehabilitation programs may enhance early detection of overuse conditions and optimize both health and performance outcomes in gymnasts.

The aim of the research was to determine whether regular physical education classes in combination with additional training in sports gymnastics lead to statistically significant changes in morphological characteristics, motor and functional abilities. The sample of participants consisted of 65 male fifth-grade students aged 11 years (± 0.5 years). In addition to regular classes, the students additionally, once a week for a duration of 60 minutes, applied training in sports gymnastics, for a duration of 12 weeks. Statistically significant changes at the level of statistical significance of (p<0.05) occurred in the following variables: body height, body mass, hand tapping, standing long jump, trunk lifting, polygon backwards, standing long jump. For variables: forearm circumference, deep bend various, stand up with a pull-up and running for 3 minutes, there were also differences compared to the initial measurement, however, they are not at a statistically significant level. Therefore, it can be concluded that the teaching of physical education in combination with gymnastics training has a positive effect on the motor abilities and morphological characteristics of the students, while there were no statistically significant transformations in functional ability. The authors of the study are aware of the need to carefully limit their own conclusions considering the age and level of competition, as well as the absence of a control group of participants.

Introduction. Poor muscle development, accompanied by insuffcient physical activity and non-physiological forces which act on the bone and joint system, often causes improper body posture. Objectives. To examine whether performing corrective exercises which stretch shortened and strengthen weakened muscles regularly can improve body posture in preschool and school-aged children. Methods. The prospective study included 110 children, 63 (57.2%) boys and 47 (42.8%) girls (the average age being 6.6 ± 2.4). Corrective exercises were performed four times a week for six months, in periods of 90 minutes. We used somatoscopy and somatometry methods to assess body posture. Results. On the initial checkup it was found that 18 children (16.4%) had some kind of spine deformity; 11 of them (10%) had scoliosis, six (5.5%) had kyphosis and 1(0.9%) had lordotic body posture. The first follow-up checkup was performed 3 months later when we found a decrease in the number of children with a bad body posture. The second follow-up checkup was repeated 6 months later. Out of 18 children (16.4%) who had been registered at the beginning, 4 (3.6%) had scoliotic, 2 (1.8%) had kyphotic and 1 (0.9%) had lordotic posture 6 months later. Conclusion. Based on the obtained results, it can be said that regular performance of corrective exercises (strengthening weakened and stretching shortened muscles) for six months had a positive effect on certain spine deformities. Kyphosis correction was visible after only three months, scoliosis correction was visible after six months, while lordosis correction was not achieved by corrective exercises in the only registered case.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) and small-sided games (SSG) are popular conditioning tactics in team sports, but their relative efficiency among female basketball players is uncertain. The aim of this study was to examine and compare the effects of a six-week HIIT and SSG intervention on the physical performance of elite female basketball players. Forty-four participants (20.98 ± 4.58 years) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: HIIT (n = 14), SSG (n = 14), or control (n = 16). Pre- and post-intervention evaluations assessed sprint performance (0–10, 0–20, 0–30 m), agility (Pro-agility, Zig-zag, 9-6-3-6-9 tests), vertical jump height (CMJ, CMJA, SJ), repeated sprint ability (RSA), and aerobic capacity (VO₂max, VIFT, MAS). HIIT and SSG significantly improved all performance measures compared to the control group (p < 0.001, ηp² = 0.365–0.809); however, there were no significant differences between the two experimental groups. HIIT had a slightly greater effect on linear sprinting, but SSG was more effective for agility and aerobic performance. Body composition remained unchanged. These data suggest that HIIT and SSG are both effective training methods for improving speed, agility, explosive power, RSA, and aerobic capacity in female basketball players. Incorporating both strategies into an organized training program can improve sport-specific performance and overall conditioning.

Karate is considered one of the most popular martial arts in which the number of participants and established clubs is constantly increasing. The World Karate Federation is one of the largest international governing bodies with 198 member countries and over 10 million members. The competition is constantly increasing, and coaches, in their desire for the success of their athletes, often overdo their training. This leads to sports injuries that keep athletes away from martial arts gyms, thereby impairing their sports form and achieving the desired, optimal sports results. Sports injuries are all those that occurred during sports activities or exercise, and the causes are usually mechanical. Sports injuries are all those that occurred during sports activities or exercise, and the causes are usually mechanical. The aim of the paper is to determine the type and frequency of injuries in karate and to identify the causes of their frequency in the system of training and competition. The obtained results of the research will help in the formation of proposals for preventive action in the case of the most frequent injuries that can be determined to be the result of the specific impact of training and competition.