This study aimed to compare the anthropometric and performance characteristics of U16 and U18 male basketball players to better understand post-peak height velocity (PHV) developmental differences. A total of 31 athletes from the local international basketball academy participated in the research—15 from the U16 category (15.25 ± 0.86 years) and 16 from the U18 category (17.46 ± 0.34 years). Measurements included body composition, sprinting (with and without the ball), agility, and jump performance. The results revealed significant between-group differences in most anthropometric variables (p < 0.001), including body mass, BMI, skeletal muscle mass, fat-free mass, total body water, and segmental muscle mass. However, there were no significant differences in body height and body fat percentage. Performance comparisons showed that U18 players outperformed U16 players in agility (p = 0.026), 10 m and 20 m sprints (p = 0.045 and p = 0.016, respectively), and 20 m dribbling sprints (p = 0.011), while no significant differences were observed in jumping ability. These findings suggest that physical maturation strongly influences anthropometric parameters and partially affects performance characteristics. The results highlight the importance of age-appropriate training strategies that consider biological development stages in youth basketball.

This study aimed to examine position-specific physical demands among elite U19 football players competing in a 4-3-3 formation, using data collected via STATSports GPS technology. A total of 23 players from a top-tier Bosnian club, FK “Sarajevo”, were monitored during 26 official matches in the 2024/2025 season. Match data included total distance, distance in six speed zones, high-speed running (HSR), sprint distance, number of sprints, maximum speed, and acceleration/deceleration events. One-way ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc analyses revealed significant positional differences across all performance metrics (p < 0.05). Central midfielders (CMs) covered the greatest total distance and distance per minute, while side defenders (SD) and forwards (FWs) recorded the highest values in sprint distance, HSR, and sprint frequency. Central defenders (CDs) consistently demonstrated the lowest outputs in high-speed and sprint metrics. These findings highlight the distinct physical profiles required for each playing position in a 4-3-3 system and provide practical insights for designing position-specific training and load management strategies in elite youth football.

This study aimed to examine the habits, attitudes, and consumption patterns of food supplements (FS) among gym users in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, with respect to gender, age, and training experience. Understanding these behaviors is essential given the rising global trend in FS use, often without professional guidance, which can have implications for individual health and public awareness. By investigating local patterns, this study seeks to provide valuable insights into the motivations and risks associated with supplement consumption, contributing to evidence-based recommendations and policy-making in the field of fitness and nutrition. Methods: Cross-sectional data were collected from various fitness centers using an online questionnaire composed of 21 questions divided into three segments. A total of 614 participants (mean ± SD: 32.77 ± 9.82 years), including both male (67.8%) and female (32.2%) gym users, took part in the study. Results: Participants predominantly belonged to the 36–45 age group, with 70.0% (p < 0.001) reporting more than one year of regular gym attendance, and 40.4% indicating regular FS consumption (p < 0.05). Supplements were mainly used to support faster recovery (29.1%, p < 0.05) and muscle growth (25%, p < 0.05). Magnesium was the most commonly used supplement, equally favored across genders and age groups. Creatine, fish oil capsules, and multivitamins were also frequently consumed (p < 0.05). Self-prescription emerged as the predominant method of FS use (40.3%, p < 0.05), followed by advice from gym coaches (21.8%), with only 5.6% of participants receiving guidance from a nutritionist. Conclusions: The findings highlight a societal trend toward self-directed FS use, often influenced by informal sources, underscoring the importance of further research and the development of targeted, evidence-based educational strategies. Males reported higher FS consumption, with younger users more focused on muscle gain and older individuals prioritizing health maintenance. The reliance on non-expert recommendations raises concerns about the safety and effectiveness of FS usage in the fitness community.

Methods: A experimental study involved the participation of 207 soccer coaches (B, A and PRO UEFA coaching license). The subscale of the questionnaire refers to coaching and leadership competencies, contains 47 items and was created from the existing questionnaires. Responses to the items of the third subscale are also given in the form of a five-point Likert scale, where respondents were required to indicate the level of agreement with the given statements. The questionnaire examines coaching and leadership competencies contained in 6 groups of competencies. Each competency (communication competencies, football and other competencies, organizational competencies, leadership competencies, technical and motivational competencies, training technology competencies - performance monitoring and training/match analysis) consists of 7 or 8 items. The validation of the developed instrument in this empirical study was conducted using two procedures: (1) factor analysis (PCA with oblique rotation) and (2) an internal consistency assessment (Scale Reliability Analysis – Cronbach's Alpha). Results: By applying principal component factor analysis to the data of the "coaching and leadership competencies" subscale with oblimin factor rotation, 7 significant factors with a Kaiser value greater than 1 and 64.671% of the total variance were identified. Conclusions: The non-objectivity of the respondents was established by applying a self-evaluation scale, and it was confirmed that such questionnaires cannot be used to assess the accuracy of an individual's assessment. It is noticeable that the general opinion of coaches about the importance of certain competencies is probably wrong.

Background: Different dietary components can affect hematological and biochemical profiles, potentially causing pathohistological changes in liver and kidney tissue. Aim: The animals in the experiment consumed various bakery and meat products, and ultimately, the potential effects on hematological, biochemical, and pathological parameters were evaluated. Methods: The study involved 24 clinically healthy adult rats, randomized into three groups of eight rats each, as follows: rats that consumed meat products (group M), rats that consumed bakery products (group H), and a control group that consumed conventional rodent food (group K) for 7 weeks. After 7 weeks, hematological and biochemical blood analyses were conducted along with pathohistological examinations of the liver and kidneys. Results: Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed among groups for several hematological and biochemical parameters, including creatinine (CREA), urea, blood urea nitrogen /CREA, calcium, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, and lipase. Consuming meat products had a less favorable impact on the occurrence of kidney function disorders. Group H exhibited significant differences in leukocyte and platelet counts compared with groups M and K. Extreme echinocytosis was recorded in group M, whereas sideropenic anemia was prominent in group H. Analysis of the livers of rats in groups K and H did not show significant differences in the observed parameters (gamma-glutamyl transferase and total bilirubin), whereas group M had a significantly higher degree of hepatocyte degeneration and steatosis, and the observed infiltrate was also more pronounced, but not significantly. The kidneys of group M showed discrete alterations of the microstructure, i.e., slightly increased cellularity of renal corpuscles and hypertrophy of proximal nephrocyte, whereas the kidney tissue of group K had a regular appearance. Conclusion: Consuming meat products was associated with adverse liver and kidney changes, whereas bakery products led to sideropenic anemia and altered hematological values.

The occurrence of spinal deformities during periods of rapid growth in children has been increasingly recognized as a significant issue within the broader community. This study aimed to evaluate the spinal posture during one of the most critical phases of physiological development in a specific group of preschool children. The research involved 153 preschool aged 4 to 6 years (mean age ± standard deviation: 4.6 ± 1.1 years) residing in Sarajevo. Postural assessment was conducted using the method proposed by Napoleon Wolanski (1975), which evaluates segmental relationships through the following parameters: head posture assessment (HPA), shoulder posture assessment (SPA), scapular posture assessment (SBPA), chest posture assessment (CPA), scoliotic posture evaluation (SCP), abdominal posture assessment (APA), leg posture assessment (LPA), and foot posture assessment (FPA). Deviations were categorized based on severity, assigned negative points as follows: 0 points for no deviation, 1 point for mild deviation, and 2 points for significant deviation. The associations between the eight parameters were analyzed using Spearman’s correlation coefficient (rho). The highest degree of correlation was observed between the variables of abdominal posture assessment and head posture assessment (0.536). Poor abdominal posture, often linked to weakened core muscles or imbalances in the lumbar region, can result in compensatory shifts in the head and neck to preserve balance and visual orientation.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between linear and change-of-direction sprinting performance with dribbling performance and Dribble Deficit in professional female handball players. Methods Eleven professional female handball players (mean age: 21.12 ± 4.34 years; body height: 171.59 ± 4.52 cm; body weight: 66.29 ± 5.73 kg) participated in the study. Each participant completed several linear (sprint over 10, 20, and 30 m) and change-of-direction tests (slalom test, zig-zag test, 505 test), first without the ball (sprinting performance) followed by ball dribbling (dribbling performance). Dribble Deficit was calculated indirectly as the time difference between the best trial while dribbling minus the best trial without dribbling. Results A large to very large correlation was observed between the linear sprint and dribbling performance (r = 0.53–0.78), as well as between change-of-direction sprinting performance and dribbling performance (r = 0.66–0.88). The study also showed a moderate to perfect relationship between linear dribbling performance and Dribble Deficit (r = 0.46–0.93), and a large relationship between change-of-direction dribbling performance and Dribble Deficit (r = 0.54–0.55), while the relationships between linear sprinting performance and Dribble Deficit (r = −0.51–0.21) and between change-of-direction sprinting performance and Dribble Deficit (r = −0.14–0.26) were small and non-significant. Conclusion In summary, Dribble Deficit reflects dribbling ability independent of sprinting ability and refines its application for practical use in assessing dribbling skills in female handball players.

This study aims to evaluate and comparatively assess the incidence and burden of knee ligament match injuries in the top five European football leagues (Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and England) throughout the 2022–2023 season. Beyond that, knee ligament match injury classification is based on layoff days and injury severity patterns for each registered injury. A total of 3015 players from “the big” five (UEFA, 2023) European football leagues (with a total of 98 football clubs), namely, Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1, Premier League and Serie A, with an average of 30.8 players, a mean age of 25.1 (SD ± 4.6) years, were included in the study, also with an average of 14451.4 minutes exposure hours per league. The total exposure amounted to 71,382.7. The medical team recorded individual player time-loss knee ligament match injuries. In this investigation, descriptive and inferential statistical analysis methods were deployed. The football players' injury characteristics, along with other variables, were statistically evaluated using descriptive statistics of means, standard deviations (SDs), and frequencies. Based on descriptive statistics concerning the knee ligament match injury severity patterns, the data reflect that the Premier League (43.86%) and Ligue 1 (43.1%) have the highest percentage of severe injuries, suggesting that both leagues have a larger burden of severe injuries. Although they are still over 40%, the severe injury rates in the Bundesliga and Serie A are marginally lower. While the Premier League has the lowest percentage of mild injuries (15.79%), La Liga separates with a comparatively higher percentage of moderate injuries (30%) than the other leagues, indicating that injuries in the Premier League tend to be more severe in nature. In general, Minimal injuries are rare; the lowest percentage is found in Ligue 1 (3.45%). The collected data wasn't in line with a normal distribution therefore the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test was used to assess the incidence and burden of knee injuries within the five leagues. Subsequently, Dunn’s test was performed to determine exactly which leagues are different, the pairwise comparisons assessed differences in detail between every pair of leagues. The null hypothesis, as defined by which there is no difference in the knee ligament match incidence or knee ligament match burden of injuries between the leagues, was examined for every comparison. We reject the null hypothesis for the two analyses since the p-values for the incidence and burden of knee ligament match injuries are both 0.000, indicating substantial differences between the leagues for the knee ligament match injury incidence and burden

Soccer coaches, although not prominently featured in the foreground, are essential to the outcomes of the sport. They are key figures between athletes and organizational goals. Choosing, retaining, and developing the greatest athletes is the cornerstone to a successful coaching career. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire that was determine the characteristic soccer coaching styles. A experimental study involved the participation of 207 soccer coaches (B, A and PRO UEFA coaching license). The questionnaire comprises 14 themes and consists of 65 items designed to evaluate soccer coaching styles, developed from the updated Leadership Scale for Sport. The validation of the developed instrument in this empirical study was conducted using two procedures: (1) factor analysis (PCA with oblique rotation) and (2) an internal consistency assessment (Scale Reliability Analysis – Cronbach's Alpha). Nineteen significant factors were extracted, and they are as follows: Player contribution to the game system; Cooperation/ Opinions; Implementation of coach's requirements; Teaching; Motivation; Conflict resolution; Informations; Sanction; Expressing an opinion; Error correction at own discretion; Highlighting the good and bad sides of players; Instructions; Team goal setting; Highlighting positivism/ negativism; The coach's personal expectations; Team solutions; Strategy creation; Social support; The influence of the team on coaching decision-making. By analyzing the data, it was determined that “B” football coaches are characterized by the coaching style "positive feedback", “A” soccer coaches by the "training and instructor" and "positive feedback" styles, while “PRO” coaches are characterized by the "positive feedback" style and a slightly lower frequency by the "training and instructor" style. Using only one coaching/leadership style is certainly a limiting factor, as different situations require different coaching approaches.

The association between movement screening and physical fitness testing in athletes is conflicting, and therefore, this study aimed to examine the relationship between Functional Movement Screen (FMS) performance and physical performance in elite female youth football players. Twenty-two players from the national U16 team of Bosnia and Herzegovina underwent FMS and physical performance tests, including speed, agility, and jump assessments. Jump and speed performance score correlated well with ASLR, while the overall FMS score was not associated with any of the performance variables. These findings suggest that while certain movement patterns may impact athletic performance, the relationship between movement screening and physical performance is delicate. Coaches and practitioners should consider individual variations and sport-specific demands when interpreting FMS results in order to optimize and maximize athlete performance and reduce injury risks.