Çankaya, Tamer; Sari, Nurgul; Çevik, Ramazan

This study aimed to evaluate the physical characteristics, posture, and musculoskeletal problems of the stabilization and pulling arms in archers. Thirteen licensed athletes aged 11– 18 years, each with at least two years of experience, were assessed for muscle shortness, flexibility, scapular dyskinesia, muscle strength, posture, and musculoskeletal complaints. Significant differences were found between the pulling and stabilization arms in shoulder flexion, abduction, adduction, elbow flexion, and various grip strengths (p<0.05), as well as in shoulder and hip anterior tilt (p<0.05). Musculoskeletal pain was most frequently reported in the back and lower back, followed by the knee and neck. These findings suggest that archers may develop postural alignment issues, particularly on the pulling arm side, and highlight the importance of archery-specific postural exercise programs for injury prevention.

Ağaoğlu, Seydi Ahmet; Birinci, Muhammet Cenk; Eser, Mustafa Can; Acar, Kürşat; Mor, Ahmet; Karakaş, Fatih; Mor, Hakkı; Birinci, Ceyhun

The use of nutritional strategies has become more widespread in recent years. This study investigates the effect of chocolate milk (CM) consumption on the recovery rate of elite male adolescent alpine skiers after intense training. Twelve male elite alpine skiers aged 13-16 years were randomly divided into two groups: chocolate milk (CM; n = 6) and placebo (PLA; n = 6). After exercise, the CM group was given 400 ml (200+200) of chocolate milk, and the PLA group took water (placebo) in the same regimen. Venous blood samples were taken before and 12 hours after drinking the fluids to determine the activity of selected enzymes, insulin, testosterone, glucose, and some minerals. It was observed that in the CM group, serum AST (Pre: 110.33±126.62 U/L vs. Post: 83.17±100.42 U/L) and CK (Pre: 2393.12±2542.22 U/L vs. Post: 1556.33±1401.45 U/L) activity, as well as testosterone (Pre: 21.12±3.59 ng/mL vs. Post: 15.19±4.96 ng/mL; p=0.028) and iron (Pre: 163.00±14.76 μg/dL vs. Post: 109.00±23.91 μg/dL; p=0.028), decreased significantly, but potassium (Pre: 4.38±0.16 mmol/L vs. Post: 4.64±0.09 mmol/L) and magnesium (Pre: 1.82±0.09 mg/dL vs. Post: 2.07±0.04 mg/dL) levels increased after supplementation compared to baseline levels (p<0.05). After taking into account the changes that occurred in the PLA group and significant differences in some variables in terms of between-group comparisons, it was found that the decrease in AST and CK activity, along with the presence of positive ionic changes in the serum after CM supplementation indicates a reduction in negative changes after training and improving the process of post-training regeneration in young male athletes.

Keskin, Kadir; Tokat, Fatma

Drop set is a popular time-efficient resistance training method. This study aimed to compare the impact of drop-set (DS) training versus traditional resistance training (TRT) while ensuring equalized total training volume on the Wingate Anaerobic Test. Twenty-four sports science students were assigned to either DS (n=12) or TRT (n=12) protocols according to their 1 RM values, and they trained twice a week for 6 weeks.1 RM test was only conducted at the beginning of the study, while the Wingate anaerobic power test was administered at baseline and after the intervention period. The study demonstrated a significant main effect of time for peak power (p< 0.001), and a between-group interaction effect was observed for peak power (p< 0.05). The DS group exhibited slightly higher peak power values compared to TRT (p< 0.05, 15% increase for DS, 13% for TRT, ES: 0,50 and 0,36 respectively), while both groups displayed significantly increased values from pre to post-testing (p < 0.001). Based on our findings, it can be inferred that DS training leads to slightly greater enhancements in anaerobic power when compared to TRT. Additionally, the study confirmed that a 6-week (12 sessions in total) resistance training program utilizing a load of 70% of 1 RM was sufficient to enhance anaerobic performance in young active men.