Objective: to identify the correlation between physical development, somatic physique type, biological maturation and playing positions in basketball. Materials and methods: 112 male basketball players were divided into two groups: group 1 included 75 9-10 year-old young basketball players at the initial training; group 2 included 37 23-31 year-old professional basketball players. We evaluated the age, body mass, body mass index (BMI), body fat, body height, arm span, relaxed and flexed arm girth, calf girth, and skinfold thickness (triceps, biceps, iliac, abdominal). Results: the young basketball players demonstrated signifi cantly lower values of body height, arm span, body mass, body fat, relaxed and flexed arm girth, and calf girth. Both young and professional basketball players had macrosomatic physique type. Group 2 adult professional guards and forwards had signifi cant diff erences in body height. Adult centers had the largest arm span; on the other hand, the arm span of the adult guards was the smallest. The centers and forwards had principally macrosomatic physique type while the adult guards had mesosomatic physique type. Conclusions: the adult professional basketball players varied in their antropometric parameters according to playing positions but there was no difference between young basketball players; the body mass, body height, and arm span were the most important parameters. Centers should be of macrosomatic physique type, and had arm span more than forwards and guards. Therefore, the data of physical growth level, somatic physique type, and biological maturation rate should be considered in basketball player selection.

Study objective: to evaluate the eff ectiveness of Nuga-Best rehabilitation equipment in a comprehensive rehabilitation program for the patients with a central form of ankylosing spondylitis. Material and methods: the study involved 65 (aged 28 – 48, mean age 34,6±2,9) patients with a verifi ed diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis. The patients were divided into two groups: the control group (n=32), receiving conventional treatment and the main group (n=33), which received procedures on Nuga-Best rehabilitation equipment along with traditional methods. The rehabilitation effectiveness criteria were: visual analogue scale of pain assessment, index BASDAI (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index), chest excursion, Schober test, Index BASMI (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index), indicators of psychoemotional status according to the Feling-Activity-Mood test. Results: At the end of the rehabilitation course, the range of movements in the aff ected parts of the spine increased from 2.98±0.23 cm to 5.56±0.27 cm (p<0.05) in the main group, and from 3.12±0.16 cm up to 5.11±0.14 cm in the control group (p<0.05). A decrease of the pain during walking was reported by 98.2% of the patients of the main and 67.3% of the control group (p<0.05). The volume of excursions of the spine was restored in 67% of patients of the first group, in 42% of the second group. The average BASDAI index reflecting the disease activity before treatment in the control group was 3.45±0.89 points, and after treatment decreased to 2.09±0.63 points (p<0,05). The rehabilitation procedures on Nuga-Best led to a signifi cantly more pronounced decrease in this index – from 3.35±0.91 to 1.82±0.61 points (p<0,05). The BASMI spinal mobility index in the control group before treatment was 4.03±1.12 points, after treatment 3.93±0.82 points, and in the main group of patients after treatment it was 3.11±0.91 points compared to pretreatment values of 4.12±1.26 points. Conclusions: In patients with central AS, Nuga-Best produces a multifactor effect, leading to a decrease in spine functional overload, promotes muscle relaxation and analgesia, increased range of motion in the spine and chest excursion, prolongs clinical remission and improves the psycho-emotional status of patients.

Objective: to evaluate the weight loss methods clinical effi cacy in gonarthrosis treatment and rehabilitation. Materials and methods: the study involved 146 patients with gonarthrosis and metabolic syndrome (obesity). They were divided into 4 groups with similar age, BMI, course duration and radiologic stage of the main disease as well as comorbidities. Group I involved patients who were treated with standard conservative methods according to the current recommendations. In Group II, patients only used metabolic syndrome treatment methods. Group IIIА and IIIB were treated following the authors’ method including metabolic syndrome treatment and rehabilitative physical exercises. In group IIIA, weight correction and physical exercises program was 12-month long, and in group IIIB, the program duration was 3 months. During the study, we assessed the dynamics of patients BMI as well as clinical osteoarthrosis degree on Leven Index and WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthrosis Index, the severity of Osteoarthrosis Index in Western Ontario and MacMaster universities). Results: the study found that the proposed program and rehabilitation measures help to improve the functional characteristics of patients with gonarthrosis and metabolic syndrome. The 12-month treatment program was the most efficient. In Group IIIA, we revealed the most visual and stable weight loss for 28%. It led to a signifi cant decrease in pain syndrome and the improvement of Leven’s Index by 41.8% and WOMAC by 59%. Conclusions: these rehabilitation measures resulted in a signifi cant decrease in the severity of knee joint function disorders compared to standard methods of weight loss and BMI decrease in gonarthrosis and metabolic syndrome patients.

Objective: to identify skiers individual respiratory system characteristics depending on their physical condition. Materials and methods: the study involved 20 professional skiers (10 men and 10 women, aged 23.2±0.9) who performed a long-term aerobic test (treadmill and bicycle ergometer) and a short-term anaerobic physical test (Wingate test on a bicycle ergometer). The gender and age specifi c data was processed and analyzed with generally accepted statistical methods. Before and after exercise, each subject underwent the individual respiratory system frequency characteristics and lung vital and forced vital capacity measurement to evaluate the physical activity effect on the respiratory system volume and frequency characteristics. The mean values in the reference groups and their standard deviations were calculated. Results: an analysis of the respiratory system frequency characteristics after physical exercise revealed a signifi cant change in resonance in men only in the exhalation phase after the “to failure” bicycle ergometric test, and in women only in the inhalation phase after treadmill test, all other frequency characteristics changes were insignifi cant. The maximum change in lung vital and forced vital capacity was found in men after treadmill stress test. The minimum change in lung vital and forced vital capacity was found in the male athletes after the “to failure” bicycle ergometer test. A signifi cant change in the resonant frequencies was found in the group of men only at the exhalation phase after “to failure” bicycle ergometer test., in women – only at the inhalation phase after the treadmill test. Conclusions: thus, the study revealed that both prolonged aerobic exercise and short anaerobic exercise do not result in signifi cant changes in the athletes’ respiratory system frequency characteristics suggesting the great potential of respiratory system bio-acoustic stimulation in sports medicine, since it can be performed at any period of the competitive training process at the time convenient for an athlete.

The pain feeling in athletes results from nociceptive and antinociceptive systems activity. Mostly pain follows injuries. Ankle joints and ligaments injury is one of the most often trauma. Pain intensity directly depends on the number of injured structures and the degree of the injury. Besides that pain intensity depends upon various factors such as gender and age. The history of injuries can increase the risk of repeated injuries and pain may become chronic. Psycho-emotional experiences during the competition can lead to pain without physical injuries. Anesthesia is important aspect in athletes’ life and it must be effective. Not all currently available medication are approved by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Every year “WADA Prohibited List” is reviewed and every athlete must follow it. The permitted and most effective methods of pain relief for joints and ligaments injury are cooling aerosols, non-steroidal anti-infl ammatory drugs and kinesio taping. Each of these methods has its own characteristics.

The article reviews the existing methods of injury prevention in sport currently used in Russia and abroad. The article analyzes therapeutic exercises for injury prevention programs and the possible mechanisms of their action. The authors studied the perspectives of prophylactic exercises for injury prevention. The article presents genetic methods for musculoskeletal system injury prevention. The article raises issues of predisposition to various sports depending on the genotype. In addition, the article describes the psychological aspects of the sport injury prevention, in particular, international experience of the injury psycho-prevention in top-level sports.

Objective: to study the vitamins level in athletes of various sports. Materials and methods: during the training process, 400 athletes of various sports and specializations were examined: martial artists, game sport athletes, cyclic, complex coordination sports. We assessed the dietery intake of vitamins A, C, B₁, B₂ and PP and the blood serum level of vitamins A, E, C, B₂ and beta-carotene. Results: The assessement the dietary intake of vitamins in relation to the energy value revealed insufficient intake of vitamins B₁, B₂ and PP in vast majority of the athletes. Only 15.2% of athlets demonstrated adequate level of all vitamins. Most frequently we found a reduced blood serum riboflavin concentration. Conclusions: An increase of B vitamins dietary intake by athletes through a high level of dietary vitamin supplements.

Objective: to improve the methodology of timely functional body’s reserves assessment, to reduce the probability of an infectious disease in divers during the training and competition period in the countries with severe climate. Materials and methods: We performed the mathematical and statistical analysis of the examination data and the frequency of infectious diseases in 2018-2019 in 47 male divers (mean age 30,5±3,56). Th e study involved volumetric compression oscillometry (VKO) and heart rate variability (HRV). Results: in the volumetric compression oscillometry and heart rate variability analysis, we determined the most signifi cant (p<0,05) signs (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, mean hemodynamic and lateral arterial pressure, energy consumption for the movement of one liter of blood, total and specifi c peripheral vascular resistance, root mean square deviation, square root of the sum of the diff erences in a series of cardio intervals, Max-Min diff erence, Max / Min ratio, mode 50 amplitude, mode 7,8 amplitude and stress index of regulatory systems). Th ese signs enable timely evaluation of the divers’ functional state indicating a premorbid or critical health level. Th e study fi ndings allow prediction of probable health complications. Conclusions: regular health monitoring enables the timely diagnosis of the adaptive mechanism disorders associated with decreased antiviral and antimicrobial resistance of divers. Th e methodology for the body functional state evaluation is proposed which has high diagnostic value and is based on the VKO and HRV assessment. Th e methodology of the integrated assessment for extreme and critical conditions has a close correlation (p˂0,05; r˃0,70) with acute infectious diseases.

Objective: to analyze the psychological and psychophysiological features of effective volleyball play. Materials and methods: the study involved 19 female athlets with average age of 17±1 years. The study was conducted during the pre-competition period. Personality traits, sport motivation, coping strategies, emotional burnout, skills of mental training and visualization, were assessed by adapted Russian-language versions of questionnaires «Freiburg multi-factor personal questionnaire (FPI)», «Sport motivation scale (SMS)», «The Sport Imagery Questionnaire (SIQ)», «Strategic Approach to Coping Scale (SACS)», «Maslach burnout inventory». The levels of chronic and acute stress were assessed by «Acute and chronic stress scale». Attentional set-shifting, concentration of attention were examined by the Munsterberg test and the «Entangled lines» test. The speed and stability of sensorimotor functioning were assessed by Simple Reaction Time test and Choice Reaction Time test. Stress load was simulated by the game-biofeedback approach to examine the effectiveness of self-regulation. The obtained data were compared with the assessment of athletes’ gaming efficiency. Results: Revealed significant connection between game effectiveness and the reduced level of stress: high speed, reaction stability, internal motivation, decreased neuroticity, depressiveness, aggressiveness, emotional lability, developed skills of self-regulation, visualization and ideomotor training are discussed. Conclusions: Revealed psychological and psychophysiological features might be considered as components of the young female volleyball players’ model psychophysiological state.

Objective: to study the response of heart pumping function (HPF) of athletes with disabilities to an orthostatic test. Materials and methods: 20 wheelchair athletes (21-30 year-old) were examined. Group I are wheelchair basketball players with amputated lower limbs at the level of the upper third of the tibia. II group - athletes with spinal damage and atrophy of lower limbs at the level of Th 12, L1, with compression, partial rupture of spinal cord, lower limbs paralysis, and small pelvic organ functional disorder. We compared the heart rate (HR) and stroke volume (SV). Th e analysis was carried out in two stages: we take measurements in the lying position and within 5 - 20 seconds aft er an active transition from the lying position to the sitting position. Results: In group I, the HR in the lying position was 77.2±1.4 bpm. With the active change of position, the HR increased by 7.3±1.2 bpm (p<0.05) to 84.5±1.8 bpm. Th e HR in group II in the lying position was 71.3±1.8 bpm. Aft er an active position change, it increased to 75.7±2.1 bpm. Th e HR response to the change of body position in group II was 4.4±1.6 bpm (p<0.05), which was 2.9±1.3 bpm less than the HR response to a change of body position in group I (p<0.05). HR decrease within 4 to 12 bpm may indicate a reduced tone of sympathetic part of vegetative nervous system. Th e SV of group I in the lying position was 54.3±1.6 ml. Aft er active transition from lying position to sitting position, the SV decreased to 45.7±1.9 ml (p<0.05). At transition from lying position to sitting position, the SV reaction in athletes with amputated of lower limbs was 8.6±1.4 ml (p<0.05). In wheelchair basketball players with lower limb atrophy, the SV in lying position was 6.8±1.9 ml and decreased by 4,3±1.7 ml at active transition from lying position to sitting position to 57.5±2.1 ml (p<0.05), which diff ers signifi cantly from the reaction of group I by 4.3±1.6 ml (p<0.05). Conclusions: In group I, the diff erence in HR values in an orthostatic test is signifi cantly higher than in group II.