The present study aimed to investigate the impact of practicing sports activities on manual skills, focused on reaction time depending on manual laterality. The objectives of the study were to identify the differences in improving simple, optional, and cognitive reaction times in the manual executions of student athletes who practice team sports involving the manual handling of the ball (volleyball, basketball, handball) in comparison with student athletes who practice individual sports and with non-athletic students; to identify the differences regarding the reaction time of the right- and left-handed executions depending on the manual lateralization of the subjects (right- and left-handedness) between the three experimental samples: team sports group (TSG), individual sports group (ISG), and the group of non-athletes (NAG) through the use of computer tests. The study included 335 subjects who were divided into three groups: TSG with 102 subjects, ISG with 112 subjects, and NAG with 121 subjects. The subjects of the study were given five computer tests to evaluate three types of reaction time: simple reaction time (Start/Stop Test), choice reaction time (Check Boxes Test, Hit-the-dot Test), and time of cognitive reaction (Trail making Test part A and B). The results were analyzed regarding right- and left-handedness, as well as the execution hand (right hand or left hand) in solving the tests. The results of the study highlighted significant statistical differences between the three groups: TSG, ISG, and NAG. The best results were recorded by TSG in all tests, and the lowest by NAG. Statistically significant differences were also recorded between the executions with the dominant hand compared to the executions with the non-dominant hand in relation to right- and left-handedness. The study highlighted that the smallest differences in all the study groups were recorded in the simple reaction time test, where the differences between the right-handed and left-handed executions were the lowest, reflecting the best level of symmetrization of the motor executions.

Background: Football is a game in which anthropometric characteristics are important factors for specific player positions, where morphological characteristics differ in relation to the competitive level and the position in the game. Body composition is an important indicator of the physical fitness and general health of athletes so today its often discussed in scientific literature. The aim of the research was to determine the differences in the anthropometric characteristics of the professional football players in relation to the player's position and to determine their importance in the game. Material: Twenty-nine male football players of the national team of Serbia participated in the research, in which the body height, weight and Body mass index were measured. Results: The results of the study indicate that statistically significant differences in body height and body weight were recorded between goalkeepers and midfielders (p <0.01) and goalkeepers and attackers (p <0.05) in favor of goalkeepers, while no statistically significant differences were recorded in the Body Mass Index. The lowest height, weight and BMI were recorded in the midfielders. Conclusions: Based on the results of the research it can be concluded that the morphological characteristics have a vital role in determining the success of athletes. Football coaches can use the results of this study as a means to better understand and interpret anthropometric characteristics and their importance in relation to the gaming position. The acquaintance of noticed differences could improve the training process as well as the selection at the early age.

Purpose: to determine the effect of water plyometric training on such components of motor skills as explosive power, agility and speed in young players. Develop practical recommendations for building a training process to improve the motor skills of athletes. Material and methods: when divided into groups of players was used a parallel randomized method with the creation of experimental and control equal groups of 20 players in each group (age 16.25 ± 1.0 years, height 168 ± 3.0 cm, body weight 61, 03 ± 4.0 kg). The duration of the experimental program was 2 months. The water plyometric training program (APT) was used in the experimental group, while the ground plyometric training program (LPT) was used in the control group. Results. In the experimental group was found to increase the jump in height by 21.05%, long jump - by 8.84%. The experimental group also found a significant increase in dexterity by 9.35% with a significance level less than 0.05, a value of t = 7.19. Dexterity as a physical ability combines many other physical abilities, such as speed, strength, power. In the experimental group was also found a significant increase in speed by 12.50% at a significance level less than 0.05. Conclusions. Plyometric training in the water increased the strength of the muscles of the legs of football players, while the majestic vertical jump increased by 21.05%, and the distance of the horizontal jump - by 8.84%. In addition, for 2 months, the training program contributed to the development of dexterity by 9.35% and an increase in speed by 12.50%. The use of ground plyometric training also improves physical abilities, but with fewer indicators of significant change than plyometric training in water.

Background and Study Aim. Athletic jumps are specific cyclically-acyclic movements that despite the good performance of the techniques require from competitors a high level of motor, specific-motor and functional abilities. The aim of this study was to examine the response effect of vertical and horizontal plyometric training on explosive capacity and kinetic variables in long jump athletes. Material and Methods. The participants of this study were twenty professional jumpers (22.5 ± 4.2 years; 178.4 ± 9.8 cm; 70.3 ± 7.6 kg) who were divided into two groups: experimental (plyometric training) and control (standard training). They participated in the last track and field championship in country, moreover, three of them participated in the last Asian games, and one athlete participated in the world track and field championship. The experiments were conducted on June-July 2019 in twenty professional athletes. All tests were performed after a standard warm up protocol. The place of camera was always determined wisely around the jumping field to attain best photography. Organizing and controlling the imaging and motor analysis processes were done by a biomechanics expert. Results. Post training results in experimental group showed more improvement in 30 m sprint, vertical jump, horizontal velocity at take-off, and long jump completion, comparing the control group. Significant between group differences in all variables were detected post training. No significant post training improvements in flight time and take off duration were reported in control group. Conclusion. Vertical and horizontal plyometric training protocol was shown to be more effective in promoting improvement in explosive capacity than kinetic variables.

Background and Study Aim. Aerobic training is effective manner of exercising aimed at improving cardio-respiratory fitness of young people. However, its effects to the elderly population (over the age of 60), depending on characteristics of the participant (gender, health status, lifestyle, etc.), is still unclear. Aim of this research is systematic overview of the available literature dealing with the topic of effects of aerobic training to cardio-respiratory fitness of the elderly population over the age of 60, depending of gender (male/female), BMI (overweight/normal weight), lifestyle (active/sedentary), health status (diabetes/hypertension/metabolic syndrome). Material and methods: Total number of papers with published research results which met the criteria was 32. Walking is effective manner of exercising which influences improvement of maximum oxygen consumption (mean value: ±SD:12.91±7.40%). Introduction of activities with greater impact (bicycle and jogging) provides more effect to the cardio-respiratory fitness (mean value: ±SD:14.28±7.48%). Results: Aerobic training intensity level (moderate vs. high) makes no significant difference to the adaptive response of the cardio-respiratory fitness in elderly population. Training in duration of 6 weeks may significantly influence increase in maximum oxygen consumption, but longer training duration, however, has better effect. Endurance training has similar effects to improvement of cardio-respiratory fitness in both men and women. On the other hand, it seems that active people have lower adaptive response in comparison to sedentary people (8.3% vs. 18.84%). Effect is similar between overweight and normal weight participants (18.48% vs. 8.6%). Positive influence of aerobic training was also observed in participants with hypertension, metabolic system and diabetes type 2. Conclusion: Results clearly suggest benefits of aerobic training on cardio-respiratory fitness of elderly population. The effect may, however, vary depending of duration, type of activity, as well as characteristics of the sample.

The main purpose of the study was to identify the level of improvement in cognitive flexi-bility manifested by choice and cognition reaction times in relation to manual and podal skills as a result of the implementation of a program of therapeutic exergame exercises, for a time interval of 6 weeks at the level of students. 511 students participated in the cross-sectional study, of which 279 male (54.6%) and 232 female (45.4%), divided into two groups: the experimental group 266 (521%) subjects and the control group 245 (48%) sub-jects. The implementation of the experimental program comprising of 8 physical thera-peutic exergames took place for 6 weeks, in one session per week, within the physical edu-cation lessons, only for the male and female experimental groups. In the initial and final testing session, 2 standardized tests were applied: TMT part A, B and 2 tests adapted for this study: Square Test and 25 Squares Test. The progress registered by the male and fe-male experimental groups was statistically significant. In all tests, the experimental groups showed higher progress compared to the control groups. Depending on the gender differences, it was found that the male experimental and control groups made better pro-gress compared to the female groups in the following tests: TMT part A, Square Test, 25 Squares Tests. The implementation of a physical therapeutic exergame program deter-mined the improvement of cognitive flexibility man-ifested by choice and cognitive reac-tion times in conditions of manual and podal motor skills, demonstrating the effective-ness of exergame technologies adapted and implemented for prophy-lactic purposes.