Background: This study aimed to examine the impact of a 4-month multicomponent exercise program on bone and functional health in older women with osteopenia. Methods: Thirty women with osteopenia, aged 66.96 ± 5.71 years, were randomly assigned to two groups. The exercise group (Group A) participated in a combined exercise training program for 4 months, while the control group (Group B) remained untrained. All participants underwent bone density testing using DEXA, along with biochemical testing for bone metabolism and mineral exchange. This included measuring serum levels of calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D, alkaline phosphatase, parathyroid hormone, calcitonin, and estrogen. Functional capacity was assessed using various tests, including the 6 min distance (6MWD) test, the Timed Up and Go test (TUG), the 30 s Sit-to-Stand test (30 s-STS), and the Berg Balance Scale. Results: At the end of the study, repeated measures analysis showed a significant effect of time, group, and the interaction between time and group on the average scores of the 6MWD, TUG, 30 s-STS, and Berg Balance Scale for Group A. In terms of DEXA measurements, there were significant effects of time, group, and their interaction on average scores of Bone Mineral Density (BMD) and the right total hip T-score for Group A. Additionally, a statistically significant interaction between time and group was observed for lumbar spine BMD (p = 0.006). A significant group effect was also noted on the total left hip T-score (p = 0.033). Conclusions: A 4-month multicomponent exercise program can improve bone health and functional capacity in older women with osteopenia.

Background: A thorough post-myocardial infarction (MI) evaluation is essential for prognosis and rehabilitation. While cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is the standard for assessing functional capacity, combining it with dynamic stress echocardiography (DSE) may offer a more comprehensive assessment. Aim: This study examined the role of stress echocardiography (SE) in male post-MI patients by evaluating left ventricular function with conventional indices and the change in global longitudinal strain (ΔGLS) at rest and during maximal treadmill CPET. A secondary aim was to determine whether ΔGLS could provide additional value to traditional measures in post-MI care. Methods: Eighteen men with a recent MI [15 ST-elevation MI, three non-ST-elevation MI; mean age 53.2 ± 5.9 years, mean body mass index (BMI) 27.9 ± 2.2, 44.4% with a smoking history) and 18 age-matched male controls (mean age 50.1 ± 10.8 years, mean BMI 26.5 ± 2.4, 39.0% with smoking history) were enrolled. All MI patients were under optimal medical therapy, including β-blockers, which were withheld on the test day. Most underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) n = 2, or PCI for non-ST-elevation MI (NSTEMI) n = 3. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and global longitudinal strain (GLS) were measured at rest and at peak effort and correlated with CPET parameters. Results: Post-MI patients had lower LVEF (50.6% vs. 60.7% at rest; 55.3% vs. 67.4% at peak, both p < 0.001), impaired GLS (–14.7% vs. –20.2% at rest, p = 0.003; –15.8% vs. –22.7% at peak, p = 0.001), and reduced VO₂peak (29.2 vs. 41.9 mL/kg/min, p < 0.001) compared with controls. In the MI group, ΔGLS correlated with VO₂peak (r = –0.645, p = 0.003) and VE/VCO₂ (r = 0.539, p = 0.020), indicating its potential as a marker of functional reserve. Conclusions: Combined CPET and SE offered comprehensive insights into functional and myocardial performance, identifying ΔGLS as a useful non-invasive index for risk stratification and rehabilitation after MI, with high feasibility and safety.

Background: Running is a common recreational activity, and the number of long-distance-race participants is continuously growing. It is well-established that regular physical activity can prevent and manage non-communicable diseases and benefit public health. Training for a long-distance race requires development of specific aerobic abilities and should generate the desired race performance. The purpose of this study was to support the training design and motivation of recreational endurance runners, by investigating whether a 14.5 km race performance of long-distance runners correlates with their cardiopulmonary indices measured in the laboratory. Methods: To examine the relationships of a 14.5 km running performance with the cardiopulmonary parameters of amateur runners, a cross-sectional study design was applied. Fifteen (eleven men and four women) recreational long-distance runners (aged 41.3 ± 9.2 years) from Northern Greece were included in the study and were evaluated in the laboratory within one week before an endurance running race—the 14.5 km Philip Road race, in Greece. The laboratory-based examinations of the athletes consisted of a comprehensive medical pre-participation screening and maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Results: The results showed that the 14.5 km race performance time (73.8 ± 9.7 min) significantly correlated with the cardiopulmonary-exercise-testing speed-related indices at specific submaximal and maximal workloads (p < 0.01, p < 0.05), while the cardiopulmonary indices of oxygen uptake did not reliably predict race running time (p > 0.05). Conclusions: There is a better correlation of the 14.5 km running performance of recreational long-distance runners with the cardiopulmonary-exercise-testing speed-related indices at specific workloads than with the indices of oxygen uptake, running economy or respiratory economy. When preparing a training strategy, amateur long-distance runners should mostly rely on specific running-speed-related laboratory data rather than on oxygen-uptake values.

Background: Morphological characteristics influence physical performance in youth basketball, but their effects may differ by developmental stage. This study compared the predictive role of morphological variables on motor performance between U13 and U15 male players. Methods: Male youth basketball players (N = 89) were assigned to U13 and U15 groups. Morphological variables included height, body mass, body fat percentage, and fat-free mass (FFM). Motor tests evaluated squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump (CMJ), 10 m and 20 m sprints, T-test, Y-test and Stop-and-Go change-of-direction speed and reactive agility (RA). Pearson correlations and multiple linear regressions assessed relationships and predictive effects. Results: In U13 players, several morphological variables correlated with performance: height and FFM were positively related to jumping and sprinting, while body fat was negatively associated with most measures (p < 0.05). Regression models explained substantial variance in sprint (ranging up to _AdjR² = 0.44) and jump performance (ranging up to _AdjR² = 0.32), though individual predictors were not always significant (p > 0.05). In U15 players, fewer associations emerged as body fat remained a significant negative predictor of jumping and agility, and greater body mass was associated with improved sprint performance (p < 0.05). No significant morphological predictors were found for RA in either group (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Morphological traits exert a stronger, multifactorial influence on performance in younger athletes, whereas body composition and particularly body fat are more influential in older adolescents. These results underscore the need to consider the developmental stage when assessing and training male youth basketball players.