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Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dementia, depression and cancers, are on the rise worldwide and are often associated with a lack of physical activity (PA). Globally, the levels of PA among individuals are below WHO recommendations. A lack of PA can increase morbidity and mortality, worsen the quality of life and increase the economic burden on individuals and society. In response to this trend, numerous organisations came together under one umbrella in Hamburg, Germany, in April 2021 and signed the ‘Hamburg Declaration’. This represented an international commitment to take all necessary actions to increase PA and improve the health of individuals to entire communities. Individuals and organisations are working together as the ‘Global Alliance for the Promotion of Physical Activity’ to drive long-term individual and population-wide behaviour change by collaborating with all stakeholders in the community: active hospitals, physical activity specialists, community services and healthcare providers, all achieving sustainable health goals for their patients/clients. The ‘Hamburg Declaration’ calls on national and international policymakers to take concrete action to promote daily PA and exercise at a population level and in healthcare settings.

Iron deficiency is frequent among athletes. All types of iron deficiency may affect physical performance and should be treated. The main mechanisms by which sport leads to iron deficiency are increased iron demand, elevated iron loss and blockage of iron absorption due to hepcidin bursts. As a baseline set of blood tests, haemoglobin, haematocrit, mean cellular volume, mean cellular haemoglobin and serum ferritin levels help monitor iron deficiency. In healthy male and female athletes >15 years, ferritin values

Injuries in Orienteering most often affect the lower extremity, mainly ankle and lower leg. Two thirds of acute injuries are caused by wounds and blisters. Up to 24% of acute injuries are acute ankle sprains. Overuse injuries are more common than acute injuries. Of them, chronic ankle instability, stress fractures, and the shin splint syndrome are very frequent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute ankle sprains (AAS) are the most frequent injuries in sports orthopaedics. Up to 40% of the patients with AAS develop chronic ankle instability (CAI) either as a mechanical (MAI) or functional ankle instability (FAI). Hypotheses: Orienteering is a high-risk sport for AAS and CAI. Within CAI, MAI and FAI may appear as single or combined entity. In professional athletes, high functional ankle stability may compensate MAI. Methods: 43 athletes of the Swiss Orienteering National Team (women, 20; men, 23) were examined clinically, and biomechanically with the Biodex Balance System (BBS). Results: The history of AAS was documented in 37 athletes (86%). Clinical and biomechanical examination showed that 37 ankles (43%) were stable, 49 (57%) evidenced CAI. The CAI subgroups were: (A) MAI with normal functional stability, 25 (29%); (B) FAI with normal mechanical stability, 18 (21%); and (C) combination of MAI and FAI, 6 (7%). Discussion: An orienteering athlete has high risk for AAS and the development of CAI. CAI exhibits three different subgroups: MAI alone, FAI alone, combination of MAI and FAI. In order to compensate MAI, and therefore long-term joint sequelae, specific training for improvement of functional ankle stability is advised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]