The functional evaluation of athletes is the sports physiotherapist's initial opportunity to iden tify dysfunctions and muscle imbalance. The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between basketball players' shortening hip adductors with Patrick's Test and their balance and coordination with the Shark Skill Test. Methods: We tested 65 healthy active basketball players in Basketball Club "Rilski sportist"-Samokov and the National Bulgarian Basketball Team. The athletes were divided into 2 groups: 22 players in the first Control Group with average 20.9 years and 21 youth players in the second Group with average 15.6 years. They were observed voluntarily in 2016. The 2 tests were applied at least 12 hours after the training. The shortness of hip adductors was assessed with Patrick's Test and balance and coordination skills-with Shark Skill Test. Results: The results from the Shark Skill Test on the left and on the right lower limb demon strated statistically significant better time and fewer mistakes among 1G basketball players (aver age 20.9 years) with shorter left and right adductors than these with normal adductors' elasticity. In contrast, there were no statistically significant differences among the youth athletes. Conclusion: Summarizing the results, it is clear that the basketball play causes the shortening of the hip adductors of men and teenagers. In this aspect, it is important that the asymmetry of the adductor elasticity in both groups does not lead to statistically significant differences in the dura tion and mistakes during performance of the Shark skill test. In our opinion, it is necessary to expand the study by applying physiotherapy for the short ened hip adductors and track changes in the implementation of the Shark Skill Test before and after treatment.

The drop jump is a frequently used and widely examined training exercise aimed at the development of one of the most important qualities in sports with speed-strength character-the explosive power. The common options for execution of this exercise suppose the general development of the explosive power of the lower limbs without taking into consideration the kinematics and dynamics related to a certain kind of sport or sports discipline. The main aim of the research is to reveal reliable interdependencies of kinematic and dynamic parameters of movements between the drop jump on an inclined platform and the takeoff from the board in the long jump and the triple jump. The research is aimed at modeling the parameters of execution of this exercise so that it can meet the kinematics and dynamics of the takeoff in the horizontal athletics jumps. We examined some kinematic and dynamic parameters of movements in the drop jump on an inclined platform with different angle of inclination and made a comparison with the same parameters in the takeoff in the competitive events long jump and triple jump. We determined significant differences and conformities between the researched parameters. On the base of the conclusions made we designed a piece of training equipment so that this exercise can be implemented in practice.

Knowing the age and gender characteristics of children is a prerequisite for the sports pedagogue to manage the different stages of the multi-annual sports training. The complex development of motor skills raises the question of the assessment and control of the specific functional training of the athletes. Permanent control over the level of development of basic motor skills allows coaches to determine the main directions for optimization of the educational and training process and to work more effectively for the development of specific technical and tactical skills of adolescent basketball players. Undoubtedly, one of the main factors of gaming efficiency is the ability of the athletes to materialize their motor potential in rational technical and tactical actions. To the greatest extent, the contribution of each of the indicators studied to the sports performance of an individual or group depends on 3-4 key factors. The disclosure of the factor structure of physical development and the specific work capacity of 14-15-year-old basketball players is of high information value for the optimization of the training process. In the present study, the five identified factors have the largest contribution to the basketball achievement for this age group.

The ХХV Bulgarian Antarctic expedition on the Livingston isles, which included scientists and alpinists, began in November 2016. The participants' activities are highly dependent on the extreme conditions they are in.The aim of the present researchis to studydynamics ofanxiety and perceived stress and to find a relation with the participants'preferred strategies for coping with stress in highly risky activities in an extreme climatic and social environment.Subject of the study were 21 participants in the ХХV Bulgarian Antarctic expedition, mean age 27 and 70. We have used Bulgarian adaptation of: Spielberger's Anxiety Inventory (STAI);Questionnaire for perceived stress (PS-1) and Coping Orientations to Problems Expe-rienced scale -COPE 1. The first two tests were applied before the departure for Antarctica and before the return to Bulgaria.The level of perceived stress in the beginning of the expedition issignificantly higher compared to the resultsobtained in the end of the expedition.Similar results were observed in terms of situational anxiety, which refers to the dynamic mental states.The cognitive engage-ment coping strategies are the main ones, whereas cognitive and emotional disengagement strategies are the least used.The results from the regression analysis show that the high levels of perceived stress has the biggest impact on the levels of anxiety in participants studied.The present study adds to the understanding the role of anxietyand perceived stressin difficult and challenging missions in extreme conditions in highly risky activities.

Young gymnasts should not have excessive body mass because that might lead to underperformance. Therefore, children practising gymnastics should consume a balanced diet, which will promote their physical abilities and optimal body mass. The aim of this study was to compare the nutrient intake of young Bulgarian artistic gymnasts to matched groups from the National Nutrition Survey in Bulgaria (NNSB2003). The study consisted of 76 artistic gymnasts (5 to 14 years of age) from four cities in Bulgaria, and the participants were divided into three groups in accordance with the age and gender categories applied in the NNSB2003. Anthropometric measurements were taken and a food frequency questionnaire was applied in order to assess the body composition and nutrient intake of the gymnasts. The percentile scores in the height and %Fat of the gymnasts were significantly lower than the 50th percentile of the international norms. The energy intake of the gymnasts did not differ significantly from those reported in the NNSB2003, whilst the protein intake, relative protein intake, and energy contribution of proteins were significantly higher than those in the same survey. The energy contribution of fats was above the recommended norms (15-30%), as provided by the WHO. The fat intake was slightly higher, and the carbohydrate intake was slightly lower than the recommended values in the literature, and, therefore, the former should be reduced and the latter increased in their food.