Background and Study Aim. Mental conditioning is an important part of modern athletic preparation. It helps regulate arousal, focus, and performance stability. This study examined the psychophysiological effects of a short mental training routine that combined relaxation and sport-specific imagery in junior alpine skiers. Materials and Methods. Fourteen athletes (7 from CSS Gheorgheni; 7 from CSS Baia Sprie) took part in a pre–post observational protocol. The Gheorgheni group performed imagery on a ski simulator. The Baia Sprie group followed the same routine without simulator support. Pulse oximetry (CMS-50F) was used to measure pulse rate (PR, bpm) and oxygen saturation (SpO₂, %) at rest, after relaxation, and during imagery. All recordings were taken under standardized seated conditions to ensure measurement consistency. Repeated-measures ANOVA and non-parametric equivalents (Friedman test, Wilcoxon test) were applied to evaluate within-group changes. Between-group comparisons used t-tests or Mann–Whitney U tests, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results. Descriptive analysis showed that PR consistently decreased after relaxation and increased during imagery. SpO₂ remained within normal limits (96–98%). The simulator group showed a greater increase in PR (+18.5 bpm) compared to the control group (+11.2 bpm). This indicates clear autonomic modulation: parasympathetic activation during relaxation and sympathetic activation during imagery. These trends were consistent across all participants. Statistical tests confirmed significant phase effects for PR (p < 0.001), with large effect sizes observed within both groups. Conclusions. Mental rehearsal produced measurable physiological changes without physical activity. This suggests its role in enhancing athletes’ internal regulation. While limited by the small sample, the study supports further research using larger groups and more advanced autonomic measures, such as heart rate variability, to refine mental training protocols in alpine skiing.

Background: Smartphones are an integral part of young people’s everyday lives and offer an interactive digital environment that can be incorporated into sport training to support engagement and skill development. Methods: A total of 40 male basketball players aged 12–14 years participated in this quasi-experimental study. Participants were allocated by existing school teams, with one team assigned to the experimental group (n = 20) and the other to the control group (n = 20). Both groups completed a six-month training period consisting of three sessions per week. Hand–eye coordination and dribbling-related performance were evaluated using two standardized mobile-application-based field tests with both hands during initial and final assessments. The data were analyzed using mixed-design repeated-measures ANOVA, with time as the within-subject factor and group as the between-subject factor. Results: The mixed-design repeated-measures ANOVA showed significant time × group interactions for all assessed outcomes, indicating greater improvements in coordination performance and bilateral upper-limb performance in the experimental group compared with the control group. Conclusions: These results indicate that mobile-application-based training can be a practical and effective approach for developing coordination and supporting bilateral upper-limb performance in youth basketball players.

Background: Dance sport has evolved into a highly demanding discipline, marked by increasing technical complexity and higher performance standards that require the development of both technical and physical capacities. Despite this progress, the role of physical training remains insufficiently emphasized in both research and coaching practice. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of dance sport specialists regarding the importance, structure, and role of physical training within the overall training process. Results: A cross-sectional survey design was used, based on a structured questionnaire with eight items and Likert-type response scales, administered to 20 dance sport coaches. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods. The findings showed that, although most specialists acknowledge the importance of physical training, its systematic planning and implementation remain inconsistent, which highlights a gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. The motor capacities considered most relevant were coordination, rhythm, balance, and spatial-temporal orientation, while endurance-related capacities were considered less important. Conclusions: The results highlight the need for structured and evidence-based physical training programs adapted to the specific demands of dance sport, in order to optimize performance and support a balanced development of motor skills.

Background: Sustainable gymnastics training requires a balance between performance development, injury prevention, workload management, athlete health, psychological well-being, and long-term participation. This focused narrative review aimed to synthesize selected evidence on training optimization, technological applications, athlete health and injury prevention in gymnastics. Methods: A structured narrative review was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection. The literature search covered publications issued between 1 January 2005 and 30 September 2025, with the final search performed on 30 September 2025. English-language publications retrieved through three predefined Topic searches in the Web of Science Core Collection were considered. The searches covered the period from 1 January 2005 to 30 September 2025 and were restricted to the Sport Sciences category. No additional publications were identified through reference-list screening. Three complementary thematic searches addressing gymnastics training models, technological applications, and injury prevention identified 485 records. After applying the eligibility criteria, removing duplicates, assessing full texts, and excluding ineligible or retracted publications, 140 publications were included in the narrative synthesis. No formal risk-of-bias assessment was performed. Results: The reviewed evidence emphasized progressive and individualized training, workload monitoring, recovery, physical preparation, age-appropriate development, and early identification of pain, fatigue, and other health-related concerns. Injury occurrence was associated with biomechanical loading, rapid growth, training exposure, previous injuries, insufficient recovery, menstrual dysfunction, psychological factors, and discipline-specific technical demands. Wearable sensors, video analysis, biomechanical modelling, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and digital learning platforms supported movement assessment, technical feedback, training monitoring, and education. Evidence for several emerging technological applications, particularly artificial intelligence and automated assessment, remains preliminary and requires further validation in gymnastics-specific and real-world settings. However, substantial differences in study designs, populations, technologies, outcome measures, and methodological characteristics limited direct comparison across studies. Coaching communication, athlete motivation, psychological well-being, and access to validated technologies also influenced the sustainability of gymnastics training. Conclusions: Sustainable gymnastics training may benefit from an interdisciplinary and athlete-centered approach integrating individualized load management, injury prevention, health monitoring, recovery, educational coaching practices, and appropriately validated technologies. The evidence identified in this review highlights converging themes suggesting the potential value of combining these components to support safe performance development and long-term participation. However, more longitudinal, discipline-specific, and methodologically consistent research is needed.

Background: Judo performance is multifactorial; judo-specific anaerobic fitness and shuttle agility speed have already been investigated separately in adolescent judoka. What remains unexplored is whether a technology-assisted neuromuscular training program can concurrently influence these established performance measures alongside plantar-support biomechanics during throwing techniques such as ippon-seoi-nage. Pilot data integrating these domains are lacking in adolescent judoka. Methods: Twenty-four male judoka (aged 15–17 years; ≥3 years of experience) were allocated to an experimental group (EG, n = 12) or control group (CG, n = 12). The EG performed a 12-week technology-assisted neuromuscular training program (BlazePod light-sensor system) before each session; the CG continued standard uchi-komi. Three outcome domains were assessed at baseline and post-intervention: (i) judo-specific anaerobic fitness (SJFT); (ii) specific shuttle agility (BlazePod protocol); and (iii) static plantar pressure (BTS P-WALK baropodometer). Results: Retention was 100% with no adverse events. A 2×2 mixed-design ANOVA (group × time) showed a significant interaction for BlazePod shuttle agility perfor-mance (Total Hits: p = .026; Total Average Reaction Time: p = .009), an effect that re-mained significant after a sensitivity analysis controlling for baseline anthropometric imbalance between groups. A significant interaction was also observed for the SJFT in-dex (p = .028), but this effect did not survive the same sensitivity analysis (p = .10). No significant group × time interaction was detected for any of the six static plantar pres-sure regions assessed (all p > .09). Conclusions: This pilot study demonstrated full feasibility and provided preliminary evidence of a group × time effect on judo-specific shuttle agility performance that re-mained significant after adjustment for baseline anthropometric imbalance, a less cer-tain effect on anaerobic fitness, and no detectable effect on static plantar pressure dis-tribution. These preliminary, hypothesis-generating findings support conducting a de-finitive, randomized, weight-stratified controlled trial.

Background: Acute low back pain is a highly prevalent musculoskeletal condition and a major cause of pain related functional limitation. Exercise based rehabilitation is commonly recommended, with the McKenzie and Williams methods being among the most frequently used approaches. However, direct comparative evidence between these two exercise protocols remains limited. Objective: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of McKenzie and Williams exercises in reducing pain in patients with acute low back pain during a 30-day intervention period. Results: A single blind, parallel group randomized controlled trial was conducted on 28 patients with acute low back pain, randomly assigned to a McKenzie group or a Williams group, with 14 participants in each group. Pain intensity was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale before and after treatment. Both groups showed significant reductions in pain after the intervention. In the McKenzie group, mean pain scores decreased from 8.29 ± 0.91 to 5.43 ± 1.65, whereas in the Williams group they decreased from 8.29 ± 0.83 to 7.07 ± 1.00. The reduction in pain was significantly greater in the McKenzie group. Conclusions: Both exercise protocols were effective in reducing pain in patients with acute low back pain. However, the McKenzie method produced greater short term pain relief and may represent a more effective rehabilitation strategy in this population.