Remote ischemic preconditioning has been demonstrated in many studies to produce a positive effect on muscle performance as well as on short-term and long-term blood pressure adaptive responses. The aim of this paper was to study the effect of remote ischemic preconditioning performed before strength exercise on perceived exertion, performance levels, and arterial pressure in individuals with metabolic syndrome. Materials and methods. The study involved 30 non-exercising men (mean age 35.2 ± 6.4 years) with metabolic syndrome. The participants were divided into three groups: ischemic preconditioning + resistance training; placebo + resistance training; resistance training. We assessed the level of perceived exertion, number of repetitions in a set, as well as average and total training volume before and after the intervention (ischemic preconditioning or placebo). Systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressure were measured before the intervention (T0), immediately after the intervention and exercise (T1), 15 min (T2) and 30 min (T3) after exercise. Results. We found that after the intervention the level of perceived exertion was statistically significantly lower, while the average number of repetitions in a set and average and total training volume were higher in the group “ischemic preconditioning + resistance training” compared to the other two groups (р ˂ 0.05). In addition, we observed a more pronounced decrease in systolic and mean arterial pressure in dynamics from T0 to T3 in the group “ischemic preconditioning + resistance training” compared to the other two groups (р ˂ 0.05). Thus, remote ischemic preconditioning used before resistance training can reduce perceived exertion, increase total training volume, and lead to more pronounced post-exercise hypotension in individuals with metabolic syndrome.

As the practice of modern elite sports shows, the functional capabilities of the athlete's body have almost reached their limit. Further increase in the volume and intensity of physical activity is associated with the risk of desadaptative changes in the athlete's body. It is known that in endurance sports, the cardiovascular system is the main limiting factor in achieving a high athletic result. In this regard, a promising approach is to search for molecular genetic markers associated with high functional reserve of the cardiovascular system of athletes. A personalized approach in sports practice is an effective tool for sports selection, development of personalized training pro-grams to optimize the health status and achieve high performance of an athlete, as well as for the prevention of sports traumatism. (1) Background: to conduct a systematic review of the studies of candidate genes and their single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) associated with the functioning of the cardiovascular system in cyclical sports athletes.(2) Methods: A search for publications between 2000 - 2021 in the databases SCOPUS, Web of Science, Google Scholar, PubMed, e-LIBRARY, using the key words and their combinations; (3) Conclusions: the Identification of genetic markers (SNVs and polymorphisms of the ACE, BDKRB2, CMA1B, NOS3 and VEGFA genes) associated with the functional reserve of the cardiovascular system, can help cardiologists, sports physicians and trainers in developing personalized strategies for the selection of children / teenagers and the choice of sports specializations. Such a personalized approach will increase sports performance and reduce the risk of overtraining and failure to adapt during a difficult competitive period.

It is generally recognized that an elite athlete's status is a multifactorial phenotype depending on many environmental and genetic factors. Variations in the sequence of nucleotides in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), in particular, single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) act as key internal factors associated with achieving high results in sports. The determination of specific individuals' genetic characteristics allows us to identify athletes who have the greatest genetically determined potential for certain sports that require speed, strength or endurance manifestation. Of course, peculiarities of the structure and function of skeletal muscles are among the most important characteristics in sports results context, in sports associated with the development of power / strength or endurance phenotypes. The composition and function of skeletal muscles are controlled by many different genes, and their SNVs can serve as strength or endurance athletes' status biomarkers. (1) Background: to conduct a thematic review of candidate genes studies and their single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) associated with the functioning of skeletal muscles in athletes. (2) Methods: A search for articles for the period from 2010 to 2020 was conducted in the databases SCOPUS, Web of Science, Google Calendar, Clinical keys, PubMed, e-LIBRARY using keywords and their combinations; (3) Conclusions: The identification of genetic biomarkers associated with muscular system regulation can help neurologists, sports doctors and coaches in developing personalized strategies for selecting children, adolescents and young adults for endurance, strength and speed sports (for example, running short, medium or long distances). Such a personalized approach will increase sports performance and reduce the risk of sports injuries of the musculoskeletal system.

Introduction. The problem of developing clear criteria for assessing athletes’ functional fitness, which would reflect their readiness for competitions, remains under-researched in the theory of sports. Football places high demands on athletes’ functional fitness, including the vegetative component. However, attempts to improve results in football often focus on techniques and tactics to the detriment of the functional component. It should also be noted that the intensity of exercises varies depending on the playing position during matches, and, therefore, an accurate diagnostic criterion is required to assess the players’ of different positions functional readiness for competitions. The article attempts to identify the parameters of heart rate variability which could be used as markers of athletes’ playing game sports high functional performance. The aim of this research is to identify the parameters of heart rate variability as a diagnostic criterion for assessing football players’ functional readiness for competitions. Materials and Methods. In order to assess the heart rate variability, the software for the “Polyspectrum” electrocardiograph was used with an additional function of obtaining data on heart rate variability. Results. The research findings suggest that football players with high athletic performance demonstrate higher vagal and lower sympathetic modulation of the heart rhythm, which indicates their higher fitness, adaptability to loads and functional readiness for competitions. On the contrary, the athletes of the second group demonstrated signs of strain of adaptation systems and over-training. Conclusions. Monitoring heart rate variability in athletes (in particular, heart rhythm wave structure indicators, expressed as the area of the triangle formed by the spectral density of all three waves) can be used as an effective tool in the dynamic control of training, in identifying athletes’ fitness, as well as for predicting sports results.

Introduction. Nowadays, the theory of sports does not contain clear criteria for assessing sports fitness, which would reflect the model characteristics of competition performance. The article presents the research results on the functional state of athletes with different training process specifics as model characteristics of competition performance. The aim of the research is to identify and describe the model characteristics of competition performance as the main criterion for evaluating sports training in the theory of sports. Materials and Methods. Energy component of athletes’ functional fitness was studied in 80 qualified athletes (Candidates for Master of Sports, Masters of Sports, International Masters of Sports), specializing in running short, medium and long distances during the period of training for competitions. The study of the energy component was conducted using the inventory developed by B. F. Vashlyaev et al. (‘A method for evaluating physical performance based on minute volume of breathing dynamics ratio to increasing load power’). This method allows to identify which source of energy is used by the athlete while taking a cycle ergometer testing. Results. The authors identified the model characteristics of functional fitness in athletes with different training specifics, based on the energy component. The study provides physiological grounding from the point of view of appropriate interaction of energy supply systems. The key regulatory mechanisms associated with the metabolic reactions activation of adenosine triphosphate molecules production are described. Conclusions. Model characteristics of athletes' competition performance, obtained in this research, can be used by coaches in order to manage sports training effectively. Moreover, the identified model characteristics can be used as the main criteria for evaluating sports training in sports theory.

Aim. The paper aims to elaborate effectiveness criteria for aerobic and anaerobic training based on a comprehensive analysis of the athletes’ trophological status. Materials and methods. Anthropometric data, body composition, carbohydrate and fat metabolism indicators were collected for trained athletes (n = 41) once per day (in the morning) on an empty stomach. To find metabolic determinants for the training process of various orientations, athletes were divided into two groups, namely, a group with a predominantly aerobic orientation (n = 23) and those with a predominantly anaerobic one (n = 18). Results. The assessment of the athletes’ trophological status showed reliable correlations between body composition and aerobic capacities. Body composition indicators allow forecasting physical performance in predominantly aerobic sports. Total cholesterol and blood glucose dynamics reflect the nature of metabolic changes during long-term adaptation to aerobic and anaerobic exercises. Conclusion. In the group with aerobic training, sportsmanship depends on the anthropological and trophological statuses. The ratio of blood glucose to total cholesterol can act as a universal marker of aerobic and anaerobic capacities during long-term sports training.

Annotation. Social adaptation is an important component of human success at its various developmental stages. Students - athletes' social adaptation differs from ones, training in other specialties by a complex combination of mental and physical loads. According to various literature data, attention deficit disorder has a large variation in the prevalence rate of 1.5 to 50% in students. Based on the survey, we found that 8.7% of student-athletes have signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Student-sathletes' with ADHD psycho-physiological characteristics and social adaptation criteria were studied in our work. It was found that students with ADHD signs tend to form stress, nervous system functional low level, and cardiovascular system stress index at sympathicotonia level. Students' with ADHD academic success rate was lower by 23.2% compared to students without this syndrom. Sports success rates were 53.6% higher for students with ADHD. Despite the fact that ADHD is a medical diagnosis, educational institutions do not create special conditions and do not develop pedagogical tools, forms and methods for students with this pathology. Along with performing educational tasks, universities fulfil students' physical, mental and moral health preservation ones. Therefore, the University should be the initiator and organizer of purposeful and effective work to preserve and increase its students' health.

Aim. The paper aims to determine the anaerobic threshold (AnT) power level using heart rate (HR) data from different age groups of skilled skiers (from 1st adult sports category to International-level Master of Sports). Materials and methods. The group consisted of 19 cross-country skiers: females (n = 4) and males (n = 6) of the senior age group; juniors aged 19-20 years (n = 4); males (n = 3) and females (n = 2). To determine the anaerobic threshold level (AnT), the participants were asked to perform step-increasing load (double poling) on the Concept 2 SkiErg ski ergometer. Physical activity was adjusted by the PerfPRO computer program, designed for ergometers using the ANT+ system. Instrumental methods and methods of mathematical statistics were used for the purpose of the study. Results. It was found that regardless of the age group and sports skills, heart rate at the AnT level was in the range of 174.98 +/- 1.67 bpm. At the same time, power at the AnT level increased by 55.15 +/- 11.12 watts (W) for males and 30.09 +/- 7.42 W for females on average with increase in sports skills and transition between age groups. Conclusion. Our study shows that the non-invasive method of determining the AnT level by heart rate is an informative tool for evaluating physical performance, which can be used to identify significant metabolic changes and control the training process. The increase in physical performance is based on the increase in contractile power at the AnT level.

Aim. The article deals with studying the functional status of the cardiovascular system and the features of its regulation in athletes of different qualifications from acyclic sports. Materials and methods. Male athletes of different qualifications aged 18–22 years and involved in acyclic sports participated in the study. A complex noninvasive bioimpedance study of HRV and hemodynamics was conducted with the Centaur (Microlux) system. The study of morphofunctional indicators of the myocardium was performed with echocardiography. Results. In athletes with the rank of Master of Sports adaptation to physical training is implemented through the increase in stroke volume, end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, the humoral metabolic activity of heart rate regulation, and myocardial thickening. In the athletes of the 1st and 2nd ranks, there is a predominance of sympathetic activity in heart rate regulation and the chronotropic mechanism in response to physical load, which proves their less perfect adaptation. Conclusion. Based on the results obtained in the transition period of training the features of myocardial hemodynamic and vegetative homeostasis were revealed. Namely, the increase in qualifications and sports performance enhancement are determined by both morphofunctional changes in the heart, and the improvement of heart rate regulation mechanisms and cardiac contractile function.