In recent years the prevalence of obesity in developed countries has increased to the point that some authorities have coined the term “obesity epidemics.” Combining energy intake control measures (via diet) with protocols for increasing energy expenditure (predominantly via low to medium intensity aerobic exercise) proved to be the most effective approach in addressing this problem. In this experiment, we studied for a possible placebo effect of a weight loss program on changes in body mass and fat tissue in overweight or obese people. Fourteen healthy adults of both sexes aged between 19 and 45 with body mass index (BMI) > 27 participated in the study. They were randomly assigned to two groups—one experimental and one control. The subjects in the experimental group followed an isocaloric diet but were told they were put on a calorie-deficient regimen. The subjects in the control group were aware they followed an energy-balanced diet. All participants were engaged in regular sessions of resistance exercise three times a week with total energy cost of approximately 750–900 kcal/week. We studied within-group differences of body mass, percentage of fat tissue, and BMI. All three variables reduced in value in the experimental group: body mass—9.25 ± 5.26 kg, percentage of fat tissue—3.4 ± 0.97%, and BMI—2.88 ± 1.50. No statistically significant within-group differences were measured in the control group. Despite some methodological biases of the study construct, in our opinion, a placebo effect could partially explain the changes in the experimental group.

Introduction. Presently, obesity is endemic in many countries. Many obese patients also suffer from diseases of high social impact, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Generally, therapies combining energy-defi cient diets and physical activity protocols are used for treating obesity. Nonetheless, presently, no universal intervention with exact parameters exists. The complexity of the problem is further exacerbated by diffi culties associated with long- term weight maintenance following weight reduction therapies. Purpose and objectives of the study. This analysis attempts to assess the impact of duration of combined diet-and-exercise weight reduction protocols on changes in body mass in overweight and obese people. Applied methodology. 3142 publications in total were retrieved by fi ltering the database of the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health USA by keywords (“weight loss”, “diet” and “exercise”) for the period between 01.01.2008 and 01.01.2018. Af- ter a selection procedure was applied, 56 of them were included in this meta-regression analysis and were grouped into three strata according to duration. Achieved major results. The results showed that therapies of short to moderate duration are the most effi cient for weight reduction, with regard to both overall effects and the amount of weight reduced per week. These fi ndings were visualized by graphical representations of the studied data. Conclusions. On our opinion, short or moderately long weight reduction therapies with scheduled interruptions should be used for treating obesity. This strategy would successfully maintain patients’ psychological wellbeing, as well as prevent relapses and “yo-yo” effects. Originality/Value. Obesity is a problem of complex origins and simple approaches such as calorie counting are rarely effective. This study proposes a “spiral” methodology – short to moderately-long hypo-caloric regimens with scheduled interruptions.

Recently, there have been outlined some problems in the motivated participation of students in the educational process. These ones presuppose the optimization of traditional teaching methods and the application of new methods, techniques and approaches in the learning process. The necessity of introducing a new-invented educational model for students’ training at NSA "Vasil Levski", combining the foreign language teaching and their sports training is imposed by the need to improve the existing educational practice both in sport practice and in foreign language learning. The new-invented teaching method "Language through sport" for weightlifting and power lifting specialists has not been developed so far in this specific educational context. The experimental teaching method has been elaborated and applied by simultaneous implementation of foreign language learning of standardized international terms in the field of weightlifting and power lifting in students’ training sessions. The study of the impact of new-invented method "Language through Sport" on students’ motivation is a reliable indicator of the efficacy of this training and teaching method in sports pedagogical practice, not only in weightlifting and power lifting but also in other sports disciplines.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in maximal oxygen consumptionas a result of a special conditioning training program. We studied ten female players of Bulgarian National Volleyball Team during their preparation for the World Championships in Japan-2018. For 8 weeks they performed 2 strength training sessions weekly using our methodology. We estimated the differences in between the beginning and the end of the preparation period and we found a small, but statistically significant increase in its values.

Introduction: Intense training activity and competing in contests are the basic blocks that build the competitor's character. We should always use some elements of systemic and targeted educational work in order to give the process a more comprehensive and active shape during all stages of sports training. Punishment is one of the most controversial methods, especially concerning its application in the process of educational training and contest participation. Methodology: The aim of this study was to survey students' attitude towards punishment as an educational method applied by their coaches in cases of systematic violations of discipline and norms. We used the inquiry method and conducted an alternative analysis of the data. Students of both sexes at "Coaches" Faculty at the National Sports Academy of Bulgaria were Subjects of the study. Results: We found that punishments are commonly applied in many sports. In our opinion, the misuse of this method could lead athletes to a psychic block. Discussion: Using punishment as an educational method affects positively athletes' behavior and motivation. As a result the performance could be improved both during training and during competition. Conclusions: A successful coach should be a master at combining systematically different complex educational methods. Adopting such an approach is the most important determinant of the rate of progress of the training process.