Background: High school education took place in the form of distance learning during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic worldwide, including Hungary. Decreased physical activity and an increase in inactive behaviours may lead to an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Aim: Our study targeted changes in physical activity (aerobic exercise, muscle strengthening) and screen time in adolescents and young adults during the pandemic. Methods: High school students were interviewed in 66 public schools in 37 Hungarian cities (N = 2508). Survey items on physical activity and screen time were derived from the WHO Health Behaviour of School-aged Children Survey and the Centers for Disease Control Youth Risk Behavior Survey. A 2 × 2 factorial ANCOVA was used to test the effects of gender (male vs. female) and/or age (adolescents vs. young adults) on the reported changes in physical activity and screen time before and during lockdown (covariate: BMI Z-score). Results: The majority of the cohort indicated less physical activity. Aerobic and muscle-strengthening type of exercises significantly decreased, and screen time increased during distance education. Male individuals showed a higher decrease in the level of aerobic exercise, and young adults reported a higher increase in the time spent in front of the screen.

Background: High-intensity physical activity elicits acute physiological responses across the metabolic, cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, immune, and neuromuscular systems. During recovery, multiple processes act to restore homeostasis and functional capacity. The aim of this study was to examine age- and position-related differences in cardiovascular and metabolic responses among youth soccer players. Methods: A total of 147 male academy soccer players were assessed, divided into four age groups (U15, U16, U17, U18/U19) and four playing positions (defenders, midfielders, forwards, goalkeepers). Results: Significant anthropometric and physiological differences were observed between age groups. Body height and weight increased progressively with age (p < 0.05), while body fat percentage was lower in younger compared to older cohorts (p < 0.001). Relative muscle mass did not differ significantly between groups. Absolute aerobic capacity (VO2max) was higher in U17–U19 compared to U15–U16 (p < 0.001). Heart rate at anaerobic threshold (HRAT) and maximal heart rate were greater in the younger groups (p ≤ 0.005). Immediate blood lactate (iBLC) and ΔiBLC were significantly higher in U15–U16 compared to U17–U19 (both p < 0.001). Position-specific analysis revealed higher iBLC in U15 defenders compared to U18/U19 defenders (p < 0.01), whereas no positional differences were observed in relative VO2max. Conclusions: These results are due to a carefully designed training program and frequent individual training sessions.