Fencing is a combat sport whose form of direct confrontation involves hitting the opponent with a weapon. The purpose of the study was to determine the properties of body composition of female representatives of the Polish national fencing team. The study involved 11 female athletes of the Polish national fencing team. Their age was 16-22 years (19±2.32), body weight 52-78 kg (59.7±7.4), body height 158-183 cm (167.46±6.10) and the training experience 7.64±3.47 years. The reference group consisted of 153 students of Warsaw University of Technology (Poland). Twenty basic somatic characteristics were measured. The following indices were calculated: slenderness, Rohrer’s, BMI, Manouvrier’s, and pelvic-shoulder indices. Density of the body, total body fat, active tissue, the overall profile of body composition and internal proportions of the body were determined. Analysis of internal proportions of factors of the athletes’ body composition revealed significant differences in particular groups of features. The total size of the athletes’ bodies is due to less-than-average magnitude of the length and stoutness characteristics and a high magnitude of adiposity (M = 0.63) in the Polish female national team of fencers (sabre) calculated from the normalized values for the control group. The proportions of features within the analysed factors revealed a significant advantage of the length of the upper extremity over the lower one and a distinct advantage of forearm musculature. The specific profile of body composition of female athletes practising sabre fencing is most likely due to long-term effects of training as well as the system of selection of persons with specific somatic prerequisites developed in the course of many years of training practice.

Background The main objective of the article is a methodic of the profile of the sense of positive health and survival abilities indices in relation "patient (client) personal trainer (leader)". The objective of empiric sphere was the profile based on subjective assessment of young women possessing different level of everyday physical activity. The question is whether there is a significant difference in the profile of sense of positive health indices in all its dimensions and own survival abilities between young women who declare engagement in everyday physical activity and their peers, who are occasionally active? Material/Methods: The profile based on the subjective sense of various positive health indices covers three dimensions: somatic A, mental B, social C and D dimension, which represents sense of indices and assessment reflecting individual's survival abilities. The sense of intensity of particular indices is evaluated in the 1 to 5 scale (where its value is as follows: 1 very low, 2 low, 3 average, 4 high, 5 very high). The "0" index is used for the purpose of evaluation of specific abilities (D dimension). The arithmetic mean of indices (after decomposition to diagnostic values) calculated for particular dimensions (from A to D) constitutes a general measure of a given health dimension and survival abilities. The arithmetic mean calculated for A to D indices represents the most general index of Sense of Positive Health and Survival Abilities (SPHSA). The study group consisted of 23-year old female students of the 2-cycle university program in physiotherapy, (22 declared engagement in everyday physical activity whereas 100 were occasionally active). Results: Women who reported engagement in everyday physical activity possess higher values of SPHSA than their peers, who are occasionally active (respectively 3.641 and 3.479; p<0.05). The highest value was recorded for social health sense (4.12 and 4.14), whereas the lowest value was noted for the survival abilities (2.956 and 2.828). Students who are active on daily basis possess statistically higher values than women who occasionally engage in physical activity as far as the following indices are concerned: muscular strength (p<0.01) and aerobic capacity, reduced aggressiveness, swimming ability, precision skills in various status of organism (p<0.05). Conclusions: From the methodological point of view the assumption that the profile indices do not directly reflect the sense of health but rather the imaginative value of a specific virtue, ability etc. proved positive. Diversification of assessment is higher in the case of indices, for which the reliability of an individual's assessment is considered to be relatively high (especially in the A, B and D dimensions).

Background Body balance disturbation tolerance skills (BBDTS) can be defined as the ability to maintain the vertical posture in the circumstances of the fall hazard. The aim of this study is appropriateness and reliability of 'Rotational Test' (RT) as BBDTS measurement tool. Material & Methods: RT consists of six tasks (consecutive jumps with body rotation of 360° alternately to the right and to the left). The overall result is the sum of the six tasks and includes 0 to 18 stipulated points. Criterion-oriented validity (concurrent validity and predictive validity); content validity; construct validity have been assumed to be the main criteria of appropriateness. Reliability of the RT is based on the 'test-retest' formula. Following all phases of the validation process we have examined 1398 people aged from 6 to 60 years. Results: RT individual results consisted of 0 to 18 points, however in homogeneous groups the average RT result varied from 0.33 to 11.06 points. RT satisfies methodological criteria of appropriateness and reliability of a tool which indirectly indicates the quality of the body mechanisms responsible for balance and postural control. Reliability of the RT has been determined as high ('test-retest' correlation varies from 0.828 to 0.848). Conclusions: RT is sensitive to the factors modifying BBDTS-especially adaptive changes related to a long-term training as well as the influence of the current state of the body and/or a sudden change in the conditions of motor action. Thus, RT can be widely used in rehabilitation, health-related training, motor control (sport, physical education, etc.), the selection process in the army, police, emergency services, etc.

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