The shift from BRICS to BRICS+ signifies a major step forward in global cooperation among emerging economies, with an emphasis on inclusivity, shared development, and collaboration among developing nations. As the bloc expands to include countries such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Indonesia, opportunities for joint health promotion efforts have also increased. Within this broader context, the BRICS Council of Exercise and Sport Science (BRICSCESS) has evolved into BRICSCESS+, a global platform focused on advancing health through physical activity, sport, and leisure. This article explores the growth, aims, and impact of BRICSCESS+, particularly its role in combating physical inactivity and non-communicable diseases in the Global South. Established in 2014 and formally launched in 2015, BRICSCESS has fostered international cooperation through biennial congresses, research partnerships, and community-driven initiatives. Its transformation into BRICSCESS+ mirrors the inclusive vision of the expanded BRICS+ alliance. Drawing on comparative research—including a doctoral study on Physical Education across the original BRICS countries—the article investigates how cultural, systemic, and policy environments influence health promotion strategies. Case studies from new BRICS+ members, such as Ethiopia’s grassroots programs, Iran’s school-based initiatives, and Saudi Arabia’s national fitness campaigns, further illustrate this integration. The article also highlights the successful BRICSCESS congresses held in Brazil (2017), South Africa (2019), and India (2024), and looks ahead to the 2026 event in Moscow. It concludes that BRICSCESS+ serves as a vital, evidence-informed platform for advancing sustainable, holistic health development across emerging nations.

Objective: to compare changes in salivary concentrations of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in athletes after 5-km and 21-km running trials.

Materials and methods: 32 male athletes were recruited and assigned to two groups. Participants of group 1 (n = 16) completed a 5-km running trial, while participants of group 2 (n = 16) completed a 21-km running trial. Unstimulated saliva was collected using the spitting method at pre-exercise (T1), post-exercise (T2), 4 hours post-exercise (T3), and 24 hours post-exercise (T4). Salivary concentrations of cTnI were measured using a Getein analyser. Data are expressed as median and interquartile range (Me [IQR]).

Results: Salivary levels of cTnI increased significantly in both running trials, with higher peak values occurring after the 5-km running trial compared with those of the 21-km running trial. cTnI levels in saliva rose at T2 (group 1: 0.38 [0.34–0.41] ng/mL; group 2: 0.33 [0.29–0.35] ng/mL) compared to T1 (group 1: 0.14 [0.13–0.16] ng/mL; group 2: 0.15 [0.13–0.17] ng/mL), peaked at T3 (group 1: 0.59 [0.54–0.64] ng/mL; group 2: 0.40 [0.38–0.44] ng/mL), and returned to baseline by T4 (group 1: 0.17 [0.13–0.20] ng/mL; group 2: 0.13 [0.11–0.17] ng/mL).

Conclusion: A 5-km running trial induced a greater increase in salivary levels of cTnI in athletes compared to a 21-km running trial, indicating a dominant role of exercise intensity in cTnI release.

Purpose of the study: to investigate the effect of periodic hydrogen inhalations for one month on the main performance characteristics, lactate levels and other biochemical parameters determined in the blood of young wrestlers after physical activity.

Materials and methods. 10 healthy volunteer athletes took part in a prospective clinical study. The analysis of hydrogen and methane levels in exhaled air, complete blood count and biochemical blood parameters, physiological parameters of the cardiovascular system, the main performance characteristics after physical activity before and after hydrogen inhalations were carried out.

Results. Hydrogen inhalations led to a decrease in the methane level in the exhaled air mainly of methane producers. A decrease in alkaline phosphatase, an increase in thrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, a decrease in lactate levels before exercise with an increase after exercise were noted. No changes were found in the complete blood count. A decrease in diastolic blood pressure at the aerobic threshold and anaerobic threshold with an increase in the respiratory coefficient was noted in the treadmill test. An increase in the distance covered in 2 minutes, as well as a faster recovery of systolic blood pressure at the 5th minute were found in the rowing machine test.

Conclusion. The obtained data indicate a positive effect of hydrogen inhalation on the blood coagulation and cardiovascular system, alkaline phosphatase, which makes an important contribution to improving performance and endurance during physical exercise in athletes.

Objective of the study: to study the impact of a new coronavirus infection on the endocrine system of adolescent athletes.

Materials and methods. The data of 1,415 adolescent athletes of the Moscow national teams (aged 13 to 17) who underwent an in-depth medical examination from January 2021 to December 2023 at Branch No. 1 of the S.I. Spasokukotsky Moscow Centre for Research and Practice in Medical Rehabilitation, Restorative and Sports Medicine of Moscow Healthcare Department, based on the results of the examination, were referred for consultation with an endocrinologist were analyzed.

Results. Among all adolescent athletes who underwent the medical examination, 12 % were diagnosed with endocrine diseases. Various thyroid diseases were detected in 1,113 young athletes and accounted for 78 % of all endocrine morbidity. COVID-19 was contracted by 315 adolescents, which accounted for 22.3 % of the group examined by the endocrinologist. 1,100 adolescents, or 77.7 % of those examined, did not have COVID-19. Among adolescents who had the disease, 98 % of cases were mild and asymptomatic. The morbidity structure of adolescent athletes who had COVID-19 did not differ significantly from that of those who had not had the disease. A significantly higher incidence of autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) after COVID-19 was found (16 % in those who had the disease and 10 % in those who had not had the disease). A significantly higher incidence of type 1 diabetes was also found in athletes who had COVID-19 (5 athletes, 4 % in the morbidity structure, of which 1 athlete was diagnosed with the disease for the first time) compared to adolescents who had not had the infection (3 athletes, 1 % in the morbidity structure).

Conclusion. Given the more frequent detection of autoimmune endocrine diseases in adolescent athletes who have had COVID-19, compared to non-athletes, regular screening of athletes who have had the viral infection with a study of the biochemical profile and hormonal status is necessary for early diagnosis of the disease and timely treatment.

The aim: of the study was to conduct a systematic search and generalize the results of randomized controlled trials assessing the effect of caffeine on the performance of combat athletes.

Materials and methods: the study was conducted according to PRISMA, and PRISMA-P. Literature searches without date and language restrictions were performed in the following databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Epistemonikos, and eLIBRARY.RU. Meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis were used as statistical methods.

Results: we identified 218 studies from the search, of which 24 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review. A total of 16 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The results of the meta-analysis showed no effect of caffeine on the results of the special judo test, rate of perceived exertion, speed-strength indicators (Wingate anaerobic test), jump power and height, strength endurance in the special judo test, special judo test index, as well as the total number of throws and throws in the second attempt. The meta-analysis demonstrated a positive effect of caffeine on the results of various taekwondo specific tests and on the number of throws in the first and third attempts of the special judo test. When assessing physiological responses, no differences in peak heart rate were observed. A statistically significant increase in peak blood lactate values was demonstrated after simulated fights.

Conclusion: caffeine consumption does not have a significant effect on improving overall physical performance, as well as on performance-related indicators and cardiac activity in combat athletes. However, it is possible that caffeine may have a positive effect on some specific indicators in this group of athletes.

Purpose of the study: This study used the meta-analysis method to systematically evaluate and compare the intervention effects of HIIT (high-intensity interval training) and MICT (moderate-intensity continuous training) on blood lipid metabolism in obese female college students.

Methods: Publicly published controlled trials on regulating blood lipids with high-intensity interval training were searched through CNKI, Web of science, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Elibrary databases. Meta-analysis was performed on the outcome indicators of 427 subjects in the 7 included articles.

Results: Among the included literature, the number of articles reporting blood lipid health outcomes were: 6 articles for TC, 7 articles for TG, 7 articles for LDL-C, and 5 articles for HDL-C. Studies investigating the effects of HIIT on TC, TG, LDL-C, and HDL-C exhibited low heterogeneity; therefore, a fixed-effects model was used. HIIT significantly improved TC (SMD = -0.71, I² = 30.10 %, 95 % CI: -1.05 to -0.38, p = 0.21), TG (SMD = -0.46, I² = 38.48 %, 95 % CI: -0.77 to -0.16, p = 0.14), LDL-C (SMD = -0.33, I² = 6.13 %, 95 % CI: -0.58 to -0.09, p = 0.38), and HDL-C (SMD = 0.23, I² = 2.28 %, 95 % CI: -0.07 to 0.53, p = 0.38).

Conclusion: Compared with MICT, intervention through HIIT training in female college students can effectively improve blood lipid-related indicators such as TC, TG, LDL-C, and HDL-C. This finding can provide theoretical and practical basis for exercise intervention in the physical and mental health development of female college students. However, the study also has some limitations. Due to the constraints of the number of included studies and the complexity of HIIT exercise protocols, the above conclusions still need to be verified by more high-quality RCT to ensure the reliability and applicability of the findings.

Purpose of the study: Jump landings after spike and block jumps in volleyball are among the primary contributors to lower limb injuries, particularly involving the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Understanding kinematic differences between these two common landing scenarios can enhance injury prevention strategies. The purpose of this study is to investigate the differences in lower limb landing kinematics between spike and block jumps, as well as between the dominant and non-dominant legs, in professional volleyball players.

Methods: Twenty-seven elite male volleyball players performed spike and block jumps over a standard net (2.43 m). Three-dimensional lower limb joint angles at initial contact (IC) were recorded using a motion capture system (200 Hz) synchronized with force plates (1000 Hz). Jump height was also measured. Paired t-tests compared joint angles between spike and block landings and between dominant and non-dominant legs (p ≤ 0.05).

Results: Spike jumps resulted in significantly higher jump heights compared to block jumps (p = 0.002). At initial contact, spike landings demonstrated significantly less knee and hip flexion, greater ankle plantarflexion, and a higher degree of non-dominant knee valgus compared to block landings. No significant inter-limb differences were found during block landings; however, spike landings showed significant asymmetries, with the non-dominant leg exhibiting riskier knee alignment and reduced flexion compared to the dominant leg.

Conclusion: Spike landings involve biomechanically riskier patterns than block landings, particularly in the non-dominant leg, potentially elevating ACL injury risk. Coaches should emphasize balanced lower-limb strength, enhanced knee and hip flexion during landing, and targeted neuromuscular training to mitigate these landing asymmetries.