Correction: Grasgruber et al. Mapping the Mountains of Giants: Anthropometric Data from the Western Balkans Reveal a Nucleus of Extraordinary Physical Stature in Europe. Biology 2022, 11, 786.

Note: The authors apologize for the rather extensive text corrections [...].

COVID-19 Lockdown: A Global Study Investigating the Effect of Athletes' Sport Classification and Sex on Training Practices.

PURPOSE: To investigate differences in athletes' knowledge, beliefs, and training practices during COVID-19 lockdowns with reference to sport classification and sex. This work extends an initial descriptive evaluation focusing on athlete classification. METHODS: Athletes (12,526; 66% male; 142 countries) completed an online survey (May-July 2020) assessing knowledge, beliefs, and practices toward training. Sports were classified as team sports (45%), endurance (20%), power/technical (10%), combat (9%), aquatic (6%), recreational (4%), racquet (3%), precision (2%), parasports (1%), and others (1%). Further analysis by sex was performed. RESULTS: During lockdown, athletes practiced body-weight-based exercises routinely (67% females and 64% males), ranging from 50% (precision) to 78% (parasports). More sport-specific technical skills were performed in combat, parasports, and precision (∼50%) than other sports (∼35%). Most athletes (range: 50% [parasports] to 75% [endurance]) performed cardiorespiratory training (trivial sex differences). Compared to prelockdown, perceived training intensity was reduced by 29% to 41%, depending on sport (largest decline: ∼38% in team sports, unaffected by sex). Some athletes (range: 7%-49%) maintained their training intensity for strength, endurance, speed, plyometric, change-of-direction, and technical training. Athletes who previously trained ≥5 sessions per week reduced their volume (range: 18%-28%) during lockdown. The proportion of athletes (81%) training ≥60 min/session reduced by 31% to 43% during lockdown. Males and females had comparable moderate levels of training knowledge (56% vs 58%) and beliefs/attitudes (54% vs 56%). CONCLUSIONS: Changes in athletes' training practices were sport-specific, with few or no sex differences. Team-based sports were generally more susceptible to changes than individual sports. Policy makers should provide athletes with specific training arrangements and educational resources to facilitate remote and/or home-based training during lockdown-type events.

Mapping the Mountains of Giants: Anthropometric Data from the Western Balkans Reveal a Nucleus of Extraordinary Physical Stature in Europe.

The inhabitants of the Dinaric Alps (former Yugoslavia and Albania) have long been known as people of impressive body height, but after World War II, there was a critical lack of data related to this phenomenon. This anthropological synthesis includes the measurements of 47,158 individuals (24,642 males and 22,516 females) from the period 2010−2018 and describes detailed regional differences in male stature in the Western Balkans. According to these data, young men from Montenegro (182.9 cm) are currently the tallest 18-year-olds in the world, surpassing their Dutch peers (182.4 cm), and 18-year-old boys from Dalmatia are even taller (183.7 cm) at a regional level. A continuous belt of extraordinary height means (>184 cm) stretches from the Adriatic coast of Dalmatia through Herzegovina to the central part of Montenegro. This article summarizes all the key socio-economic, nutritional, and genetic data, and offers possible explanations for this anthropological phenomenon. Since the remarkable height of the Dinaric populations cannot be connected with any commonly known environmental factor, the most probable hypothesis is genetic and links these physical characteristics with the local founder effect of Y haplogroup I-M170. Furthermore, given that both the level of socio-economic development and dietary protein quality are still sub-optimal, the local upward trend in body height has the potential to continue in the future.

Training During the COVID-19 Lockdown: Knowledge, Beliefs, and Practices of 12,526 Athletes from 142 Countries and Six Continents.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to explore the training-related knowledge, beliefs, and practices of athletes and the influence of lockdowns in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). METHODS: Athletes (n = 12,526, comprising 13% world class, 21% international, 36% national, 24% state, and 6% recreational) completed an online survey that was available from 17 May to 5 July 2020 and explored their training behaviors (training knowledge, beliefs/attitudes, and practices), including specific questions on their training intensity, frequency, and session duration before and during lockdown (March-June 2020). RESULTS: Overall, 85% of athletes wanted to "maintain training," and 79% disagreed with the statement that it is "okay to not train during lockdown," with a greater prevalence for both in higher-level athletes. In total, 60% of athletes considered "coaching by correspondence (remote coaching)" to be sufficient (highest amongst world-class athletes). During lockdown, < 40% were able to maintain sport-specific training (e.g., long endurance [39%], interval training [35%], weightlifting [33%], plyometric exercise [30%]) at pre-lockdown levels (higher among world-class, international, and national athletes), with most (83%) training for "general fitness and health maintenance" during lockdown. Athletes trained alone (80%) and focused on bodyweight (65%) and cardiovascular (59%) exercise/training during lockdown. Compared with before lockdown, most athletes reported reduced training frequency (from between five and seven sessions per week to four or fewer), shorter training sessions (from ≥ 60 to < 60 min), and lower sport-specific intensity (~ 38% reduction), irrespective of athlete classification. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19-related lockdowns saw marked reductions in athletic training specificity, intensity, frequency, and duration, with notable within-sample differences (by athlete classification). Higher classification athletes had the strongest desire to "maintain" training and the greatest opposition to "not training" during lockdowns. These higher classification athletes retained training specificity to a greater degree than others, probably because of preferential access to limited training resources. More higher classification athletes considered "coaching by correspondence" as sufficient than did lower classification athletes. These lockdown-mediated changes in training were not conducive to maintenance or progression of athletes' physical capacities and were also likely detrimental to athletes' mental health. These data can be used by policy makers, athletes, and their multidisciplinary teams to modulate their practice, with a degree of individualization, in the current and continued pandemic-related scenario. Furthermore, the data may drive training-related educational resources for athletes and their multidisciplinary teams. Such upskilling would provide athletes with evidence to inform their training modifications in response to germane situations (e.g., COVID related, injury, and illness).

Relationship between sitting height measurements and standing height: a prospective regional study among adolescents in the southern region of Kosovo / Relación entre las medidas de la altura sentada y la altura de pie: un estudio regional prospectivo entre adolescentes de la región sur de Kosovo

SUMMARY: The purpose of this research is to determine a regression equation for the estimation of stature from sitting height measurements in the Southern Region of Kosovo. This research was carried out on 225 individuals (120 male and 105 female). The anthropometric measurements were taken according to the ISAK protocol. The relationships between standing height and sitting height measurements were determined using simple correlation coefficients at a 95 % confidence interval. A comparison of means of standing height and sitting height between genders was performed using a t-test. After that, a linear regression analysis was carried out to examine the extent to which sitting height can reliably predict standing height. The results revealed that Southern Kosovan males are 178.61±5.73 cm tall and have a sitting height of 94.05±3.09 cm, while Southern Kosovan females are 165.33±4.46 cm tall and have a sitting height of 89.34±2.50 cm. The results have shown that both genders made Southern-Kosovans a tall group, taller than the general Kosovan population. This research study confirmed that sitting height reliably predicts stature in both genders of adolescents in the Southern Region of Kosovo and revealed a very useful finding for physical anthropologists and experts from related fields.

RESUMEN: El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar una ecuación de regresión para la estimación de la estatura a partir de mediciones de la altura sentada en la Región Sur de Kosovo. La investigación se realizó en 225 individuos (120 hombres y 105 mujeres). Las medidas antropométricas se tomaron según el protocolo ISAK. Se determinaron las relaciones entre la altura de pie y la altura sentada utilizando coeficientes de correlación simples con un intervalo de confianza del 95 %. Se realizó una comparación de las medias de la altura de pie y la altura sentada entre sexos mediante una prueba t. Además, se llevó a cabo un análisis de regresión lineal para la estimar la confiabilidad de la medición de altura de pie, considerando la altura sentada. Los resultados indican que los varones del sur de Kosovo miden 178,61 ± 5,73 cm de altura y tienen una altura sentada de 94,05 ± 3,09 cm, mientras que las mujeres miden 165,33 ± 4,46 cm de altura y tienen una altura sentada de 89,34 ± 2,50 cm. Los resultados han demostrado que ambos sexos kosovares del sur son más altos que la población general de Kosovo. Este estudio confirmó que la altura sentada predice de manera confiable la estatura de ambos sexos en adolescentes de la región sur de Kosovo y reveló un hallazgo útil para los antropólogos físicos y los expertos de áreas relacionadas.

Stature and its estimation utilizing arm span measurements in Kosovan adults: national survey / Estatura y su estimación utilizando mediciones de brazos en adultos kosovares: encuesta nacional

The purpose of this research is to examine stature in both Kosovan sexes as well as its association with arm span, as an alternative to estimating stature. A total of 1623 individuals (830 boys and 793 girls) participated in this research. The anthropometric measurements were taken according to the protocol of ISAK. The relationships between stature and arm span were determined using simple correlation coefficients at a ninety-five percent confidence interval. Then a linear regression analysis was carried out to examine extent to which arm span can reliably predict stature. Results displayed that Kosovan boys are 179.52±5.96 cm tall and have an arm span of 181.29±7.02 cm, while Kosovan girls are 165.72±4.93 cm tall and have an arm span of 165.60±5.87 cm. The results have shown that both sexes made Kosovans a tall nation but not even close to be in the top tallest nations. Moreover, the arm span reliably predicts stature in both sexes.

El propósito de esta investigación fue examinar la talla en individuos kosovares de ambos sexos, así como su asociación con la extensión de brazo como una alternativa para la estimación de estatura. En la investigación participaron 1623 personas (830 hombres y 793 mujeres) . Las mediciones antropométricas se tomaron de acuerdo con el protocolo de ISAK. Las relaciones entre la talla y la extensión del brazo se determinó utilizando coeficientes de correlación simple con un 95 % de confianza. Se llevó a cabo un análisis de regresión lineal para examinar hasta qué punto la extensión de brazo puede predecir la estatura. Los resultados mostraron que los varones kosovares tienen 179.52 ± 5.96 cm de altura y tienen una extensión de brazo de 181.29 ± 7.02 cm, mientras que las mujeres kosovares tienen 165.72 ± 4.93 cm de altura y extensión de brazo de 165.60 ± 5.87 cm. Los resultados indicaron que los individuos kosovares de ambos sexos son una población alta, sin embargo las mediciones no se acercaron a poblaciones en las naciones de mayor altura. Además, la extensión de brazo fue predecible en cuanto a la estatura en ambos sexos.