Sports

Background/Objectives: The aim of the study is to examine the association between self-reported physical activity and mental well-being. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between 2023 and 2025. The participants were second-year dental students. Data collected included general demographic characteristics, assessment of mental well-being by the WHO-5 Well-Being Index (WHO-5), level of physical activity by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and type of physical activity. Results: Three hundred seventy-two second-year dental students were included in the study. The median WHO-5 percentage score was 56. From the study sample, 42.2% (n = 157) of dental students had a WHO-5 percentage score below 50, indicating a poor mental well-being. The majority of students had a high level of physical activity (n = 206; 55.4%). By linear regression analysis adjusted for sex, age, smoking status, academic cohort year and BMI (Body Mass Index), it was observed that sitting time and female sex were significant negative predictors of WHO-5 score, whereas moderate-intensity physical activity (registered by moderate MET score of IPAQ) was a significant positive predictor of it. Also, students who regularly practiced sports had higher WHO-5 scores (median 60 vs. 52, p = 0.002). Conclusions: The results of the study suggest that mental well-being is positively associated with moderate physical activity and negatively associated with sitting time. Prospective studies are recommended to increase knowledge of physical activity as an intervention for increasing the level of mental well-being in this population.

Palmar cooling may delay fatigue during exercise by enhancing heat dissipation through the glabrous skin of the hand. Although ergogenic effects have been reported during resistance and sprint exercises, effects on sport-specific performance remain unclear. Purpose: Examine the effects of palmar cooling on handgrip strength, shot accuracy, and velocity in male lacrosse players following high-intensity exercise. Methods: Twenty Division III male lacrosse players completed two randomized, counterbalanced crossover sessions. Each session included a baseline handgrip assessment, a high-intensity circuit exercise (HICE; 12 exercises; 30 s, as many repetitions as possible with 10 s of rest), and immediate post-HICE handgrip testing. Participants then received either palmar cooling (PC) or a thermoneutral condition (TC) for 1 min, followed by another handgrip test, a three-shot maximal-effort velocity test, a second intervention of either PC or TC, and a lacrosse shot accuracy assessment. Palmar skin temperature (PST) was measured before and after each intervention. Results: PC reduced PST compared with TC after both applications (p < 0.01). Left-hand grip strength increased following PC compared to TN (p = 0.036), with no right-hand changes. Shot velocity and accuracy did not differ between conditions. Conclusions: Palmar cooling modestly improved post-exercise left-hand grip strength but did not improve sport-specific lacrosse performance.

Objective: Female athletes have a higher prevalence of menstrual disorders due to hormonal imbalances, often related to physical stress, low energy availability, and inadequate nutritional habits. These disorders can affect both health and athletic performance. The aim of this study is to evaluate the frequency of menstrual cycle disorders in female athletes and their relationship with nutritional variables. Design: Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study based on an anonymous online questionnaire administered to female athletes aged 18–55 years (n = 418; average age = 28 ± 9 years). Methods: The questionnaire collected self-reported data on menstrual cycle characteristics, diet, supplementation, and training-related habits. Chi-square tests, Fisher’s exact test, and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used for statistical analysis, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Premenstrual symptoms were reported by 57.0% of participants, regular clot presence by 27.4%, and cycle irregularities by 22.8%. In unadjusted analyses, self-reported dietary balance was associated with cycle regularity and bleeding duration; after false discovery rate correction, only the association with altered bleeding duration (binary coding) remained statistically significant. No clear associations were observed between sports frequency and menstrual cycle alterations. Conclusions: Menstrual disorders were common among female athletes. Although an association between self-reported dietary balance and bleeding duration persisted after correction for multiple comparisons, it derived from an exploratory binary recoding and warrants cautious interpretation. These findings may help guide future research on nutrition and menstrual health in female athletes.