Summary Athletes feel greater need for macro-and microelements as, due to great training loads, the body loses salts. Normal course of vital processes is often hindered not only by the lack of minerals into two groups. The first (I) group (male, n=17) consisted of Greco-Roman wrestlers. The second group (II) (women, n=9) -volleyball players. Control groups consisted of 25 students. The first (I) control group (men, n=15) and second (II) control group (women, n=10) consisted of students, who were not involved in sports activities. For establishing the concentration of macro-and microelements in hair, x-ray fluorescence method was applied using CEP-1 ELVAX (MP.MN 3730-2011) device. X-ray fluorescence method is a perspective and informative way for establishing concentration of macro-and

Abstract:The aim of the work is to evaluate the influence of physical activity character on concentration of macro-and microelements in hair of physically active students. 127 students of I-IV year of Physical Education program at Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences participated in the research, aged from 20 to 24. They were split into three groups. The first (I) group (n = 48) consisted of endurance sport athletes (skiers, biathlon athletes, middle and long distance runners, rowers and cyclists). The second group (II) (n = 61) was made up of the basketball, football, handball and volleyball players. The third group (III) consisted of combat sports (wrestling and boxing) athletes (n = 18). For establishing the concentration of macro-and microelements in hair, x-ray fluorescence method was applied, using CEP-1 ELVAX (MP.MN 3730-2011) device. The results showed that the hair of the students of Physical Education program, practicing endurance sports possessed more calcium, copper, manganese in comparison to the athletes practicing other sports. Concentration of the main elements-zinc, iron, selenium and chromium in the hair of combat sports representatives was statistically significant. Concentration of potassium was also the greatest in this group of the investigated. However, this group of athletes also possessed the greatest values of toxic elements (plumbum, arsenic) in their hair, comparing to the athletes of endurance sport and players. In their hair, hydrargyrum concentration was significantly greater comparing to the values of this element in players' hair. The greatest mean values of cadmium were established in players' hair.

Background. Concentration of trace elements in the hair allows to get an idea how they are taken by the organism over a long period of time and to study relative correlations with different genetic, dietary and environmental factors. Research aim was to identify changes in the macro-and microelement status for young athletes involved in different sports activities depending on the preparation period within one-year training cycle.Methods. A total of 78 young athletes aged 12-17 years, 32 of which were swimmers (group I), 17 -tennis players (group II) and 29 -Taekwondo athletes (group III) participated in the study. Biological material (hair samples), the volume of 0.1-0.15 g were taken for experimental studies in three periods of time: preparatory, competitive and transition period within a one-year training cycle. Hair samples were analyzed using the method of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) in order to detect multiple elements. For quantitative analysis, 8 chemical elements (sulfur, potassium, calcium, iron, copper, zinc, strontium and selenium) were determined in a single hair sample.Results and conclusion. A non-invasive method to determine mass fraction of the chemical elements (sulfur, potassium, calcium, iron, copper, zinc, lead, chlorine, bromine, strontium, selenium) in a hair sample is an informative method for assessing the physiological response of the body (young athletes) with physical activity at different stages of training. The statistical analysis of the obtained results revealed the dependence of the concentration of trace elements from a kind of sports activity and stage of preparation for young athletes.