To meet the growing interest in natural antibacterial agents, we evaluated the physicochemical and biological properties of the folk medicine known as “five thieves’ oil” (Polish name: olejek pięciu złodziei). Five thieves’ oil consists of a mixture of five oils: rosemary, lemon, clove, eucalyptus, and cinnamon. In this study, we performed gas chromatography, FTIR, and UV–vis spectroscopic analysis, as well as L-a-b color tests, contact angle determination, and surface tension determination. To verify its antibacterial activity, the metabolic activity and changes in cell membrane permeability of bacteria of the genus Pseudomonas were studied. As a result, it was found that among the constituent oils, the oils of clove and cinnamon were the least volatile and, at the same time, had the strongest antibacterial activity. However, a mix of all the oils also showed comparable activity, which was even more pronounced for the oils after 4 weeks of aging. This effect can be linked to the high content of terpene derivatives such as eugenol and cinnamaldehyde, which can cause changes in bacterial membrane permeability, affecting cell activity and survival. This study is the first to characterize the constituents of the popular folk medicine five thieves’ oil, confirming and explaining its strong antibacterial activity, thus constituting a significant contribution to contemporary health education.

BackgroundThe study discusses the differences in the levels of satisfaction withlife (SWL) and a sense of coherence (SOC) in disabled sedentary people, disabled persons performing leisure sports and competitive disabled athletes. ConclusionsContinued research on sport and wellness interventions for the individuals with disabilities is recommended. A critical emerging issue is to develop and promote evidence-based sport and wellness programs for physically disabled people in the Republic of Poland.

Background: In the process of modernising and improving physical fitness classes on offer, there is a growing trend to complement them with extra means characterized by different directions of interactions. Training of respiratory muscles (TRM) is one of them used in sports training but also increasingly more often in health training. The aim of the study was to as- sess changes in physical capacity under the influence of 6 weeks' training of a different type of inspiratory muscles incorporated into the programme of fitness classes for women aged 20-25 years. Material/Methods: The study involved 33 not training professionally young women aged 20-25 years. To assess the capacity of the respiratory sytem, dynamic spirometry was performed with a use of the K4b2 Spirometry apparatus by Cosmed company, and inspiratory muscle strength was measured with a use of a respiratory pressure meter by Micro Medical. Aerobic capacity was evaluated based on a direct method, using an incremental load test until exhaustion. Measurements were taken before and after a training session throughout six weeks with a frequency of three sessions per week. Results: As a result of a six-week special training in the POWERbreathe group there was a significant increase in spirometric indices compared to the initial measurement: FVC l (BTPS), FEV1 l (BTPS), PEF (l·secˉ1), MVV (l·minˉ1), MIP (-mH2O). However, apart from the above-mentioned effects in the group of those training with bands also a significant increase in MEP (cmH2O) was noted compared to the control group. Conclusions: The special inspiratory muscles training programme improved the functionality of the respiratory system, which is revealed in the increase in indicators characterizing aerobic capacity (with no significant influence on changing the body composition). The results obtained in our study indicate the possibility of practical application of respiratory training simulators in health and recreational physical activities enabling the growth of aerobic capacity of those exercising.

StreszczenieWprowadzenie: Niezależnie od zamieszkałych przez człowieka części świata, istnieje około 10-15% społeczeń-stwa, które nie posiada pełnej sprawności w zakresie zmysłów, rozwoju fi zycznego czy intelektualnego. Cel pracy: Celem podjętych badań była ocena sprawności fi zycznej osób z niepełnosprawnością intelektualną na przykładzie niepełnosprawnych podopiecznych Domu Pomocy Społecznej (DPS) w Gdańsku oraz zbadanie wpływu autorskiego programu usprawniania "Ja i moja Sprawność" na poprawę ich sprawności fi zycznej. Materiał i metody: Badaniami objęto 23 uczestników, których podzielono według stopnia niepełnosprawności oraz wieku. Dokonano wstępnego pomiaru sprawności fi zycznej wykorzystując test Eurofi t Specjalny. Po dokonaniu diagnozy sprawności fi zycznej wprowadzono do rozkładu dnia autorski program usprawniania. Program realizowano przez sześć miesięcy, po czym dokonano powtórnego pomiaru, posługując się tym samym narzędziem badawczym. Wyniki: Stwierdzono, że realizowany program usprawniania ruchowego korzystnie wpłynął na poprawę wyników wybranych prób sprawności fi zycznej badanych osób w stopniu lekkim. Wyniki badań nie wykazały natomiast istotnych zmian, szczególnie w grupie osób z niepełnosprawnością intelektualną w stopniu umiarkowanym. Wnioski: 1. Autorski program usprawniania "Ja i moja sprawność" wykazuje statystyczne symptomy mające korzystny związek z utrzymaniem sprawności fi zycznej zmierzonej testem Eurofi t Specjalny wśród uczestników z niepełnosprawnością intelektualną w stopniu lekkim w grupie 30-45-latków. 2. Badania wykazały, że są pewne trendy, krzywe obrazujące kierunek zmian, czyli, być może, po dłuższym okresie usprawniania tych osób autorskim programem będą one istotne statystycznie.Słowa kluczowe: sprawność fi zyczna, niepełnosprawność intelektualna, Eurofi t Specjalny, program usprawniania Abstract Introduction: Regardless of which part of the world people live in, approx. 10-15% of society is disabled in terms of senses, physical or intellectual development. Objective: The objective of the undertaken studies was to assess physical fi tness of intellectually disabled people on the example of disabled people under the custody of the Nursing Home (NH) in Gdańsk as well as to examine the impact of the authors' improvement program entitled "Me and my fi tness" on improvement of physical fi tness. Materials and methods: The studies involved 23 participants who were divided according to the degree of disability and age. Initial measurement of physical fi tness was performed using the Eurofi t Special test. After diagnosing physical fi tness, the authors' improvement program was introduced into the patients' daily schedule. The program was implemented for six months, after which another measurement was performed using the same research tool. Results: It was stated that the implemented motor improvement program benefi cially impacted results in selected tests regarding physical fi tness of the participants with mild intellectual disability. The results did not indicate signifi can...

Background:The objective of this study was to check whether the type of education is related to the development of a dual career in professional sport. Material and methods:This study used the Chi-square test of independence and Student's t test to analyze 7 scenarios (not experienced and experienced) presented to the participants. A final survey-list, consisting of 38 items of competences (possession and importance) and completed by 243 young people: 218 (89.7%) athletes obtaining secondary education and 25 (10.3%) obtaining or having higher education.Results: There were statistically significant differences between people with higher education and secondary education in terms of possessed competences, but there were no statistically significant differences between higher education and secondary education in terms of the importance of competences. There were statistically significant differences between people with secondary education and people with higher education in experiencing scenario 1 and 5. Conclusions:The results of both studies confirmed three hypotheses. It turned out that the level of education is related to the course of athletes' dual career. Of particular importance are the athletes' social competences and life experience.