Lithuanian Sports University or LSU is a university in Kaunas, Lithuania, specializing in sports, physical activities, and physiology. It is headquartered in Žaliakalnis neighbourhood, in close proximity to the Kaunas Sports Hall and the S. Darius and S. Girėnas Stadium.
This study examined the immediate effects of long-duration static stretching on range of motion (ROM), muscle–tendon unit (MTU) stiffness, and muscle strength in older adults with hamstring tightness and possible sarcopenia. Sixty-eight older adults (67.2 ± 4.5 years) were randomly assigned to long-duration static stretching (LS), standard-duration static stretching (SS), eccentric exercise (ECC), or control. Joint ROM, fascicle length (FL), MTU stiffness, and knee-flexor peak eccentric torque were assessed at baseline and immediately after a single intervention. Significant immediate ROM improvements were observed in the LS, SS, and ECC groups (5.5°, 5.6°, and 3.1°, respectively; all p < 0.05), with no between-group differences. MTU stiffness decreased significantly after LS (median: −0.05 Nm/deg) and SS (median: −0.06 Nm/deg; both p < 0.05), whereas no changes were observed in the ECC or control groups. No significant changes in FL were detected, indicating that ROM improvements were not associated with alterations in muscle architecture. A significant main effect of time was found for knee-flexor peak eccentric torque, with no group × time interaction. A single 30-min session of hamstring stretching did not produce greater acute improvements in ROM, MTU stiffness, or muscle strength than shorter-duration stretching or eccentric exercise. However, the magnitude of these effects did not exceed the threshold for clinical meaningfulness, as defined in the present study. Further refinement of intervention parameters (e.g., position, or intensity) may be required to elicit clinically meaningful changes in ROM in tight and possible sarcopenic muscles.
Background: Passive movement-based recovery strategies may support post-exercise recovery without additional metabolic demand. Objective: To examine the acute effects of passive foot flexions during recovery on isometric task performance after repeated exercise. Methods: Fourteen physically active men completed two randomized crossover sessions-passive rest and passive foot flexions-separated by a 7-day washout. Each session included a sustained static isometric plantar flexion task at 75% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), a 15 min recovery period, and a repeated isometric task. Work capacity was assessed as holding time. Cardiovascular, autonomic, and peripheral responses were recorded throughout the protocol. Results: Baseline holding time did not differ between the conditions. During the repeated isometric task, holding time was significantly longer following passive foot flexions compared to passive rest (67.7 +/- 10.4 s vs. 52.9 +/- 9.7 s; p < 0.05), with a large effect size (d approximate to 1.5). Passive foot flexions were associated with a greater increase in parasympathetic modulation, reflected by higher root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) during recovery and altered muscle oxygenation dynamics, including faster post-exercise re-oxygenation. For both conditions, heart rate and systolic and diastolic blood pressure exhibited similar exercise-recovery patterns with no between-condition differences. Only minor changes in muscle stiffness were observed following the passive foot flexions. Conclusions: Passive foot flexions may support short-term recovery between repeated isometric efforts, particularly with respect to holding time and RMSSD.
Background. Direct preparation for competition, which takes into account the individual needs and moods of karate practitioners, is of significant importance for their form in the main event. To date, there have been few studies in this area relating to the mental sphere of competitors. Problem and aim. The aim of this article is to gain knowledge about the mood of Fudokan karate competitors in junior and senior groups during direct preparation for kata competition. Material and methods. Polish kata competitors from Fudokan karate (N=52) were examined, including juniors (n=24) and seniors (n=28). The Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS) was used. Significance was set at 0.05. Results. No differences were found in the vigour dimension between the junior and senior groups, but differences were found in the tension, depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion dimensions. In addition, it was found that competitive experience is negatively correlated with the intensity of mood dimensions, with the exception of vigour, which is positively correlated. Conclusions. Juniors showed higher levels of tension, depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion than seniors, while vigour levels were similar in both groups. In addition, the following relationship was found: the longer the competitive experience, the higher the vigour and the lower the tension, depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion.
Tai Chi has evolved into a widely used mind–body practice increasingly incorporated into complementary therapy, rehabilitation, and public health. This study provides an updated global bibliometric overview, with VOSviewer mapping publication performance, co-authorship networks, and keyword-based thematic clusters. Articles and reviews with Tai Chi–related terms in the title were retrieved from Scopus, with no restrictions on language or publication year. A total of 2253 publications from 1978 to 2025 were analyzed, revealing steady growth, concentrated largely in the past decade. China led the publication output, while the United States had the highest number of citations, forming a dual-core pattern. The field is largely driven by a small group of authors and regional clusters, and its visibility in mainstream medical journals remains limited. Nine software-generated keyword clusters were manually synthesized into five themes: motor function (balance and fall prevention), musculoskeletal conditions (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia), chronic disease management (cardiovascular disease, stroke, COPD), psychological health (quality of life, depression, anxiety, mindfulness), and cognitive aging (dementia, mild cognitive impairment). Future progress requires greater methodological rigor, including mechanistic inquiry, long-term study designs, and community- or population-level applications, along with stronger international collaboration and deeper integration into clinical and public health practice.
Obesity has been increasingly recognized not only as a metabolic disorder but also as a condition that impairs neuromuscular function, including strength relative to body mass. This translational study investigated whether obesity affects both force generation and contraction-relaxation dynamics. In control (CN) and diet-induced obese (OB) male mice, contractile properties of isolated extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus (SOL) muscles were assessed in vitro. In parallel, plantar flexor performance was assessed in 25 normal-weight (CN) and 25 class I obese (OB) sedentary men through maximal voluntary isometric contractions and a dynamic calf raise test. OB mice exhibited lower specific force and slower rates of force development and relaxation in both EDL and SOL (p < 0.05). In men, the lower rate of torque development and prolonged relaxation kinetics of the plantar flexors (p < 0.05), combined with a higher body mass to maximal voluntary isometric torque ratio (p < 0.05), contributed to slower calf raise phases in OB compared to CN men (p < 0.05). These findings reveal that obesity not only has a negative impact on the muscle force generating capacity but also induces slower muscle contractile kinetics.
