Genetics plays an integral role in athletic performance and is increasingly becoming recognised as an important risk factor for injury. Ankle and knee injuries are the most common injuries sustained by soccer players. Often these injuries result in players missing training and matches, which can incur significant costs to clubs. This study aimed to identify genotypes associated with ankle and knee injuries in soccer players and how these impacted the number of matches played. 289 soccer players including 46 professional, 98 semi-professional and 145 amateur players were genetically tested. Ankle and knee injuries and the number of matches played were recorded during the 2014/15 season. Four genes were assessed in relation to injury. Genotypes found to be associated with injury included the TT genotype of the GDF5 gene, TT and CT genotypes of AMPD1 gene, TT genotype of COL5A1 and GG genotype of IGF2 gene. These genes were also associated with a decrease in the number of matches played.

This study aimed to describe the injury profiles of young Korean baseball players according to position and age as the proportion and distribution of injuries based on playing position and age remains unclear. A total of 271 elite youth baseball players aged 8 to 16 years were divided into two groups: elementary school (ES) (n=135) and middle school (MS) (n=136). The participants' basic, baseball practice, and injury information were collected. Injuries in the MS group were not limited to the elbow and shoulder, and the injury prevalence varied by age group and baseball position. The most injured body region in the ES group was the elbow joint, regardless of the position. In contrast, the most injured body region in the MS group was the lower back, except for infielders whose elbows were the most injured. Additionally, the MS group was more likely to experience injuries of the lower back (OR=4.27, 95% CI=2.47–7.40), shoulder (OR=1.93, 95% CI=1.08–3.43; P=0.024), and knee (OR=2.15, 95% CI=1.17–3.94; P=0.012). Our findings indicate that excessive practice and lack of rest during MS (growth spurt period) can significantly increase the risk of lower back problems in young baseball players.

This review explores the prevalence and implications of muscular power and dynamic balance asymmetry among soccer players, focusing on its impact on performance and injury risk. Asymmetry is common in soccer due to the sport's specific demands, such as the frequent use of one leg for kicking and passing. While some asymmetry may allow for functional specialization and may not impair performance, significant imbalances are often linked to an increased risk of injuries, particularly to the lower extremities. Dynamic balance asymmetry is also associated with a higher risk of non-contact injuries, highlighting the importance of joint stability in preventing such injuries. However, the direct impact of balance asymmetry on performance metrics like sprint speed and agility is less definitive, suggesting that compensatory mechanisms or training adaptations might mitigate potential negative effects. Advancements in assessment technologies, such as motion capture systems and wearable devices, have enhanced the precision of asymmetry evaluations, enabling more targeted interventions. Despite these technological advancements, further research is needed to understand the long-term effects of asymmetry across different player demographics, including youth and female athletes, and to evaluate the effectiveness of specific training interventions. This review recommends a multidisciplinary approach, integrating biomechanics, sports medicine, and coaching insights, to develop comprehensive strategies for managing asymmetry in soccer. Such strategies will be crucial for optimizing player performance, minimizing injury risk, and improving training and rehabilitation programs tailored to the diverse needs of soccer players.

This article presents the main results of the Kids in Action (KIA) project, which aimed to promote physical activity and sport among children aged 3 to 11, by linking the education, sports and family sectors. It applies the concepts of proximity consumption and the 15-minute city to sustainable and healthy habits. This study aims to evaluate the application of the concept of proximity to the provision of physical sports activities from an early age, to reduce the drop-out rate of PA, through collaboration between schools, local government and the sports sector. A mixed methodology was used, applying a survey and interviews with the stakeholders to identify good practices in the promotion of physical activity at an early age. A total of 147 children and 10 adults (3 family members, 4 school managers or teachers and 3 sports managers) participated. The main results included the importance of introducing sport and providing adequate facilities, especially through guided workshops, as this not only influences the actual participation in sport but also the intention to continue practising it. It is observed that children with less affinity towards conventional sports benefit particularly from initiatives such as the KIA programme. On the other hand, the lack of available resources and the influence of the sports culture in families are identified as the main barriers, factors that harm the quality of participation.

The article reviews Iranian sports in three periods: prehistoric, ancient, and modern. In prehistoric times, remaining cases have shown the existence of movement activities based on recreational and religious ceremonies. In the period of ancient history, documents such as Hasanlu Golden Cup and Arjan Cup, and in the continuation of architectures leftover from different eras, refer to the prosperity of sports activities with different approaches. Among all kinds of activities, Iranian zoorkhaneh sport has a significant cultural background and effect. Modern sports entered Iran through embassies, oil contractors, Western-educated students, and military representatives in other countries (in the modern era). Iran became a member of the International Olympic Committee in 1947 and won its first Olympic medal in 1948. Entering the 21st century, the sports industry in Iran began to grow and the number of clubs, sports careers, and sports science students in universities increased significantly. The growing dimension of attention and interest in sports among Iranians shows that sports will be one of the main areas in Iran's development in the future.

It has been shown that assessing the capacity and quality of sports equipment is important to develop a better understanding of sport participation. Different organizations are involved in the provision of sports products and services. In this regard, policymakers need to design a framework to give people more access to sports facilities. It appears that geographical access to such facilities can affect differences in sport participation around the globe. In this study, Shiraz city districts and the Shiraz sports clubs list were collected. The list of sports clubs was matched with Shiraz districts in March 2020. The significance of the relationship between area, the population of each region, per capita construction budget, frequency of clubs, green area, number of parks, population to number of club’s ratio, and area to the number of club’s ratio indicators and the number of sports clubs were analyzed by SPSS version 22 Using the Spearman correlation coefficient test. There were statistically significant relationships between district and population of each region, District and sports club, District and Population to the number of clubs, area and green area, per capita construction budget and the number of parks, per capita construction budget and population of each region (p<0.05 for all). A significant correlation between the districts and the Population to the number of club’s ratio shows that there is no proper distribution of sports facilities in different urban areas. For this reason, in some areas, people may not have adequate access to sports facilities. Also, a significant correlation was observed between total area and green area, per capita construction budget and the number of parks and Per capita construction budget and the population of each region. So, the health level of the people who live in undeveloped districts is endangered and more attention should be paid to them.

Soccer is the leading cause of all sports-related ocular injuries in Europe and Israel and leads to blindness at a disproportionately high rate, especially among children (Thompson et al., 2019). With soccer being the most popular sport in the world, it is surprising the only solution to ocular injuries are sports glasses which can cause direct damage to the eye and impair peripheral vision by 15%, calling for an alternative (Smith & Jones, 2020). This work, based on an imported facial model, focuses on both the qualitative and quantitative aspects of building a personalized, low-cost (through optimizing material needed), superior apparatus to conventional sports glasses. The quantitative side examines a modified and model-validated (through a SRS of thirty unique extrapolated points) multivariate linear regression equation, based on horizontal and vertical rotation angles (n=60) trained with residual and computer simulation data, that can accurately extrapolate and quantify ocular impact from all horizontal and vertical rotation angles and a modified Hertzian Contact Stress Equation to determine the thickness of the apparatus using the elasticity modulus, impact force, and geometrical facial and soccer-ball features. The qualitative side examines where firstly, ocular impact is most prevalent, and secondly, where most impact is seen from rotating the ball horizontally and vertically through analysis of Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient at the supraorbital, medial canthus, infraorbital, and lateral canthus regions from both regression equations as well as a cost-benefit analysis for comparison with conventional sports glasses. The findings discovered in this work lay the groundwork for future research to build a customized low-cost ocular injury prevention device which can simultaneously ensure complete ocular safety while enhancing athletic performance for over 250,000,000 players (Johnson & Garcia, 2022).

Intermittent fasting is one of the most popular types of diet at the moment because it is an effective nutritional strategy in terms of weight loss. The main objective of this review is to analyze the effects that intermittent fasting has on sports performance. We are going to focus on analyzing physical capacities: aerobic capacity, anaerobic capacity, strength and power, we are also going to analyze its effect on body composition. For this, a bibliographic search was carried out in several databases where 25 research articles were analyzed to clarify these objectives. This review was registered in PROSPERO with code ref. 407024, and an evaluation of the quality or risk of bias was performed. After this analysis, results were obtained regarding the improvement of body composition and the maintenance of muscle mass. Finally, it can be concluded that fasting provides benefits in terms of body composition without reducing physical performance, maintenance of lean mass and improvements in maximum power. But despite this, it is necessary to carry out new studies focusing on the sports field since the samples have been very varied.

Oral health involves physiological functions related to mouth, teeth and orofacial structures, but also includes psychological and social dimensions. In this sense, oral health is an integrated part of human general health and well-being. Our aim was to access and evaluate the general oral health status of a high- and elite-level sample of Portuguese athletes from different sports. One hundred and sixteen participants were examined regarding their dental relationships, teeth and periodontal health, the presence of parafunctional activities (bruxism), and current or past orthodontic treatment. Our sample were predominantly adolescents and young adults, including 54 high-level and 62 elite subjects (71 males and 45 males) from 11 different sports, but mainly from swimming and athletics. Most sport performers presented with normocclusion (77%), despite the presence of other sagittal, transverse and vertical malocclusions. Twenty-three participants were affected by dental caries and six had missing teeth. Gingivitis (~40%) and dental calculus (~30%) were presented in our sample. Bruxism signs (47%) and current or past orthodontic treatment (~22%) were also found. Oral health conditions are not under control among high- and elite-level athletes, supporting the importance of healthcare needs and oral health promotion strategies in sports.

Covid-19 restrictions impacted many people’s daily lives through infection, fear of infection and the implementation of restrictions on movement. Restrictions and fear of contamination impacted physical activity patterns activity and increased mental health issues globally across a variety of ages. This re-issue of a questionnaire sought to examine the impact of Covid-19 restrictions on frequency of physical activity, participation in sports, wellbeing and symptoms of anxiety and depression in Irish adolescents. 3,021 adolescents from 61 post-primary schools in the Republic of Ireland completed questionnaires. Consistent with a previous issue of the questionnaire, a minority of adolescents were found to meet the WHO’s physical activity guidelines (11.6% of males and 5.2% of females) although there were large decreases in 1^st year males and females. Adolescents reporting elevated symptoms of depression increased from 39% to 46% with almost 3 in 5 females reporting symptoms of depression ranging from mild to extreme. Highest levels of wellbeing were found in adolescents who participated in 3 or more sports, although there was an 8% reduction in the amount of adolescents who participated in 3 or more sports. There were no changes in physical activity levels overall, despite changes within sub-groups and patterns of physical activity. There was a clear increase in symptoms of depression, with females impacted more than males. Previously active individuals were more likely to increase activity and therefore report higher levels of mental health while those who were less active were more likely to decrease activity and report lower mental health.

Regular assessment of mood is used in Brazil for a wide variety of purposes, including screening athletes to provide an indicator of psychological wellbeing and risk of mental health issues. The present study tested the psychometric characteristics of the Brazil Mood Scale (BRAMS) using both “right now” and “past week” response time frames and investigated between-group differences in mood based on athlete sex, age, and social vulnerability. Participants were 898 athletes (511 male, 387 female, age range: 12–44 years) from eight sports. Structural equation modelling supported the BRAMS measurement model using both response time frames independently and in a multi-sample analysis. Subscale reliability was supported for both time frames. Fatigue, depression, and tension scores were higher using the past week time frame than the right now time frame. Males reported higher vigor scores than females, and younger participants (&lt;18 years) reported lower scores for anger and depression than older participants (18+ years). No significant between-group differences emerged for social vulnerability. Findings supported the psychometric integrity of the BRAMS and its use as a screening measure for psychological wellbeing among youth and elite athletes in Brazil.

This study represents the first to examine the nutritional status of Moroccan football players. The aim of this research is to assess the energy and macronutrient intake of professional players from a club competing in the Moroccan professional league "Botola-Pro." Moreover, the study tries to find the potential correlation between nutritional intake and physical performance. A total of 27 professional players participated in a seven consecutive-day study, during a microcycle of the preseason period. The dietary intake was evaluated using the self-reported, complemented by a 24-hour recall. The InBody 120 bioelectrical impedance was employed for assessing body composition measurements, while the Yo-Yo test was utilized to evaluate physical performance; which estimates the maximal oxygen consumption level (VO2max). Among these players, their protein intake levels aligned with recommendations (1.6 to 2.2 g/kg of Body Mass). On the other hand, fat intake slightly surpassed the recommended values. However, carbohydrate intake was relatively subdued compared to recommendations of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in the pre-season training phase. A positive correlation was observed (P-value of &lt; 0.001 and R=0.831) between carbohydrate intake and the measure of VO2max. This suggests that an increase in carbohydrate consumption is associated with enhanced performance, especially within the range of 6 to 8 g/kg BM per day. Conversely, a negative correlation was identified (P-value of &lt; 0.01 and R= − 0.847) between the percentage of dietary fat and the VO2max. The findings of this study highlight areas of nutrition that could be enhanced among professional football players to optimize their performance. In effect, nutritional education is necessary for this category of athletes. Thus, an individual care approach is strongly recommended.

Background: In South Africa, a relatively small number of children and adolescents belong to sports clubs, and adolescent participation in organised sport has steadily declined, especially in recent years. Participation levels in organised sport has decreased during late childhood and, more increasingly, as adolescents grow older. Aim: Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the participation of secondary school learners aged 14 to 16 years in organised sport. Methods: The study was a quantitative and descriptive, cross-sectional design. The study sample was 329 conveniently sampled secondary school learners, males, and females, aged 14 to 16 years from three state schools in Cape Town, Western Cape Province. A researcher-generated, self-administered questionnaire on organised sport participation was developed, piloted, and validated among 44 learners of similar background, who did not participate in the main study. The statistical software, SPSS version 27, was used to capture and analyse the research data. The level of statistical significance for the study was set at p < 0.05. Results: A total of 66.9% of participants in the study sample participated in organised sport. Low but significant correlations were reported between gender and participation in organised sport (r = 0.22; p < 0.001), gender and friend participation in organised sport (r = 0.24; p < 0.001), participants participation and sibling participation in organised sport (r = 0.23; p < 0.001), participants participation and friend participation in organised sport (r = 0.36; p < 0.001), and between participant participation and parental participation in organised sport (r = 0.17; p = 0.003). Conclusion: Adolescent participation in organised sport was lower in the present circumstances compared to participation in the past three years. Adolescent males had higher participation levels in organised sport compared to adolescent females. There is an urgent need for solutions to counteract the low levels of adolescent participation in organised sport, especially in adolescent females.

The satisfaction of basic psychological needs leads students to engage in a sport modality on their own initiative. In the Spanish public educational system, mixed and heterogeneous, the gender and sport experience of students influence the teaching and motivation of invasion sports. This study investigated whether students' gender and sport experience, and method influence the psychological variables (basic psychological needs and sport adherence) when teaching school soccer and basketball. Furthermore, correlations were calculated between these psychological variables. The study involved 165 fifth and sixth grade students (age, 11.27 ± 0.68 years old) from several Spanish state schools in the same autonomous community. A non-random convenience sample was used. The needs for autonomy, perceived competence and social relationships were measured using the Basic Psychological Needs in Physical Exercise Scale. Sport adherence was measured using the Measure of Intentionality to be Physically Active. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Cronbach's alpha were used to analyze the psychometric properties of the scales. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed with the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis H tests. There were significant differences in the needs for autonomy and perceived competence according to the students’ gender (boys &gt; girls). Attending to sport adherence, there were also significant differences according to the students’ gender (boys &gt; girls) and sport experience (experienced students &gt; inexperienced students). Likewise, a regression analysis (structural equation model) revealed that the autonomy need showed low association with sport adherence. Higher perceived competence (β = 0.52) and social relationships (β = 0.36) were associated with greater adherence to sport (R2 = 0.65). Increased sport adherence will have health benefits.

The digital divide, particularly within the context of Artificial Intelligence (AI) sport podcasts, presents significant behavioral and psychosocial challenges for student engagement. This study examines the disparities in access to and proficiency with Information Communication Technologies (ICT) across different demographic groups, focusing on gender, age, and religious level. The advent of the commercial web has heightened the significance of these divides, as first-level digital divide concerns access to the internet, while the second-level digital divide pertains to the ability to use technology proficiently. Existing literature has consistently highlighted persistent inequalities in these areas, which significantly impact the extent to which students from various backgrounds can engage with AI sport podcasts effectively. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for developing strategies to bridge the gap and ensure equitable access to digital learning resources.

There is an observed general low performance of Ethiopian Sport Governing Bodies (SGBs) in service delivery. Evidence shows that the trend can be corrected with proper understanding and insight into the process of organisational and management factors of these SGBs. This study aimed to investigate the contribution of organisational and management factors on effective sport service delivery in SGBs. For this study, a cross-sectional research design was employed. Purposive sampling was used to choose 350 samples. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and multiple regression were used to analyse the data at the 0.05 significant level. The findings confirmed that organisational and management factor variables had a significant positive relationship with sport service delivery (organisational structure (r=0.515), organisational capabilities (r=0.701), communication (r=0.549), management practice (r=0.571), materials &amp; resources (r=0.527) and stakeholders satisfaction (r=0.742). In addition, Management factors were found to be significant contributors for predicting effective sport service delivery (F(3, 329)= 165.868, R2= 0.612). Furthermore, organisational factors had a joint significant contribution to effective sport service delivery (F(3, 329) = 148.743, R2= 0.576). In addition, organisational and management factor variables jointly best predicted effective sport service delivery in Ethiopian SGBs (F(6, 326) =130.81, R2= 0.707). Therefore, this study suggests organisational and management factor variables can be used to predict effective sport service delivery.

UNESCO highlights socio-emotional, cognitive, and behavioral learning as critical for advancing sustainability. As major events, sports generate significant social, economic, and environmental impacts. This study analyzed how academic background, gender, age, sport type, and modality influenced elite Colombian Olympic and Paralympic athletes' socio-emotional competencies. Methods: Colombian elite athletes who were members of the “Support to the Excellence Coldeportes Athlete” participated in the study. The total population studied included 334 Colombian elite athletes: mean age 27.10 ± 6.57 years old with 13.66 ± 6.37 years practicing his/her sports modality. The socio-emotional competencies of the participants were assessed using the Socio-emotional Competencies Scale (SECS). Results: Men scored higher in interpersonal regulation, self-awareness, conflict resolution, and emotional regulation. Younger athletes (≤25 years) had higher self-consciousness. Individual versus team sports did not differ. Paralympians showed higher motivation, self-awareness, teamwork, and emotional regulation. University educated athletes scored higher in motivation, self-awareness, teamwork, and empathy. All competencies positively correlated. Conclusion: Individualized interventions targeting improved socio-emotional performance are vital for sustainability and should account for differences across gender, age, education, and disability status.

The main purpose of the study was to study the effects of a specific rowing ergometer training program on the athletic performance of young adolescents (n=56; 11.73 ± 1.4 years old) com-pared to a workout based on general strength training. Eight-week training program was im-plemented, with four sessions per week and two-hours per session. Sample was divided in two groups: a control group (CG) that performed circuit training with exercises aimed at building general strength and an experimental group (EG) who focused on specifically training on a rowing ergometer (rowing machine). The data obtained in a rowing meter test over the compe-tition distance were analyzed to obtain the average power attained (W) at the beginning of the training, at the middle (4 weeks), at the end of the training (8 weeks) and one year after the ex-perimentation. The results show that, although both forms of training improve the average W obtained in both categories, the EG subjects (+29.94W) obtained better averages in all phases of the study compared to the CG (+5.88W). Furthermore, this increase was greater in male rowers (+ 34.06W) than in female rowers (+24.54W). These results reveal that a specific rower rowing ergometer training program has a significant effect than a general strength program and these effects can even be observed a year after the intervention.

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art, combat sport, and Olympic discipline. Taekwondo competi-tion is characterized as an individual sport (1X1), single elimination tournament and repechage system. The aim goal of this study is brought of a bibliometric review regarding the item’s “taekwondo” and “performance”, through identified and published manuscripts on the Web of Science (WOS) database by December 31, 2022. The bibliometric analysis was used to analyze a data set of 460 WOS-indexed manuscripts published between 1992 and 2022. Descriptive analy-sis, citation, authorships, countries, institutionals, and keywords co-occurrence analyses were conducted into Taekwondo sports performance. The manuscripts founded in the WOS database are inserted on the categories: “Sports Science” (n = 229), “Hospitality Leisure Sport Tourism” (n = 48), and “Physiology” (n = 32). The authors Kazemi et al. (2006), Matsushigue et al. (2009), and Paillard (2017) are the must published and cited researchers. The countries with high number of published manuscripts with the objective of this study are Brazil (n = 83), South Korea (n = 57), and Spain (n = 52). We found also, five collaboration networks between authors and institutions, found a gap of the thematic relevant researchers. The authors should have highlighted Franchini, E., (n = 42), and Falco, C., (n = 20). It is recommended to carry out multidimensional research on Taekwondo sports performance with the aim of establishing collaborations within groups, insti-tutions, and countries. In this way, the productivity, effectiveness, and quality of research would be increased, as well as international collaboration networks.

The aim of this study was to examine the post-injury psychological impact looking for to avoid sources of health issues. We have analyzed differences in the stress, anxiety and depression levels between male and female football players who have suffered at least one injury during the last season played respect to similar players who have not been injured. A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. The participants were 187 football players and data on the player’s injuries were collected. A Self-reported Questionnaire collected number, type and severity of injuries sustained during the previous sports season (twelve months), and also the player’s current situation being injured or not injured. To evaluate the psychological variables, the DASS-21 questionnaire was used. Results indicated that the male injured players presented anxiety levels higher than those who were non-injured. When we observe the female players’ data, the stress levels of the non-injured ones are higher than those of the injured players. Regarding the non-injured athletes, results showed that the female non-injured players presented values in anxiety higher than those corresponding to the non-injured male players. Thus, sport injury affects mental health issues such as anxiety and stress, and in a different way regarding gender.

Then the purposes of this study were to compare and correlate the aerobic threshold (TH_aer) and anaerobic threshold (TH_anaer) measured during a new single judo specific incremental test and Treadmill Test for aerobic demand evaluation. Eight well-trained male competitive judo players (24.3±7.9 years; height of 169.3±6.7cm; fat mass of 12.7±3.9%) performed a maximal incremental specific test for judo mimicking the UchiKomi drills and on treadmill in different days. There was difference between specific and general TH_aer (P=0.0006) as well as weak correlation for TH_aer (r=0.32; R²=0.1; P=0.2) and TH_anaer (rs=-0.31; R²=0.1; P=0.12). When correlation was applied with normalized data (percentage of peak load) we observed moderate correlation for TH_aer (r=0.76; R²=0.58; P=0.027), but the same was not observed for TH_anaer. We conclude that there is a need of TH_aer and TH_anaer evaluation through a specific test for Judo.

This study explores the impact of regular physical exercise on the quality of life and body image among Para-athletes, emphasizing the necessity of such activities for physical, social, and psychological health. This qualitative study employs content analysis and ethnomethodology to evaluate seven Para-athletes from the Navy's Paralympic Project, using focus group interviews to assess their perceptions. The findings reveal that participation in structured sports programs positively influences body image and quality of life, leading to improved performance in training, social interactions, and competitive events. The analysis suggests that motivation and self-esteem are fundamental to the sporting success of Paralympic athletes. Both external and internal motivations are crucial for sustaining athletic careers and overcoming challenges. Self-esteem enables athletes to remain confident in their abilities, even after setbacks.

Background: The protocol described in this paper is part of a research project coordinated 1 between three Spanish universities where a technology aimed at improving the quality of life of 2 people suffering from cerebral palsy will be developed. Part of the technology developed will consist 3 of developing an interface and a series of applications to increase motivation for daily physical activity. 4 The basis of these developments is based on the measurement of the emotional state of the subjects. 5 Methods: The experimental protocol is designed with two objectives, on the one hand to identify the 6 emotional state through physiological signals, and on the other to determine whether music can be 7 a motivating factor to promote physical activity. It has been specifically designed for subjects with 8 cerebral palsy taking into account the special characteristics of this population. These are people with 9 whom it is difficult to use questionnaires to have a basis to contrast with the measured physiological 10 signals, so measurements must be taken in carefully chosen daily life situations Discussion: As results 11 we hope to obtain which physiological parameters are the most robust to measure the emotional state 12 and how to design rehabilitation and physical activity promotion routines that are motivating, in 13 addition to being able to avoid risk factors during the performance of these routines. Trial registration: 14 NCT05621057. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05621057

This paper reviews the appearance of joint lesions during arthroscopic surgery of inter-est to the arthroscopic surgeon and their interpretation within the continuum of joint disease. It also points out the relevance of surgical findings as well as giving directions to the surgeon as to how to approach an appropriate decision-making process during an arthroscopic procedure and what therapeutic options are optimal.

(1) Background: Children who are physically active and involved in organized sport report having the unhealthiest diets. Research suggests excessive calories may be attributed to the prevalence of fast food and candy which are often provided as rewards in sport. This study explored the use of food as a reward in youth sport and the perceived impact it has on children’s motivation to participate in recreational soccer and ice hockey; (2) Methods: A multiple instrumental case study approach was utilized. Children aged 4-12 (n = 64), parents (n = 30), and coaches (n = 18) were recruited within central and northeastern Ontario, Canada to participate in focus groups and individual interviews. Transcribed audio recordings underwent inductive thematic analysis; (3) Results: Key themes included: Fun and fast: The culture of food in youth soccer and hockey; (Un)importance of food rewards: The how and why of motivating children in sport; and Youth sport is expensive: Gratitude for sponsorship in youth sport; (4) Children’s participation and effort would continue without food rewards; however, they continue to be offered food to motivate and celebrate performance in youth sport. Findings highlight the need to increase knowledge and awareness among parents and coaches on what truly motivates children to help foster healthier strategies for celebrating success and supporting lifelong physical activity.

Neurotrauma continues to contribute to significant mortality and disability. The need for better protective equipment is apparent. This review focuses on improved helmet design and the necessi-ty for continued research. We start by highlighting current innovations in helmet design for sport and subsequent utilization in the lay community for construction. The current standards by sport and organization are summarized. We then address current standards within the military envi-ronment. The pathophysiology is discussed with emphasis on how helmets provide protection. As innovative designs emerge, protection against secondary injury becomes apparent. Much research is needed, but this focused paper is intended to serve as a catalyst for improvement in helmet de-sign and implementation to provide more efficient and reliable neuroprotection across broad arenas.

Despite significant prevention efforts, the numbers of physically inactive individuals, chronic illnesses, exhaustion syndromes and sick leaves are increasing. A still unresolved problem with exercise promotion is the low participation of sedentary persons. This collective term covers heterogeneous subgroups. Their engagement with movement campaigns and resistance to change are influenced by numerous factors. Our aim was to analyse survey data on health, performance, lifestyle habits and the approachability to physical activity campaigns obtained from the Germany-wide ActIv survey. From 2,888 study participants aged 50-60 years, 668 persons were categorised into the subgroups "never-athletes", "sports-dropouts", "always-athletes" and "sports-beginners". Large and significant group differences were found for BMI, assessment of quality of life, health and fitness, risk factors and health problems. 42.5% of "never-athletes" and 32.5% of "sports-dropouts" did not state any barriers to sport. There are substantial disparities between the non-athlete groups in terms of their motivation to exercise. In contrast, there are comparatively minor differences in motivation between "sports-dropouts" and "sports-beginners", whose health and fitness are the primary motivators for sport. Our analyses suggest that (i) negative health and performance trends cannot be compensated by appeals for voluntary participation in exercise programmes and (ii) powerful incentive systems are required.

Sport centers are significant energy consumers. This article outlines the engineering design for a comprehensive energy performance upgrade of the indoor sport hall in Arkalochori, Greece, and presents the projected results. The indoor sport hall constitutes a major sport facility in the mainland of Crete, hosting a broad cluster of sport municipal activities and the official basketball games of the local team in the 2nd national category. Having being constructed in the mid ‘90s, the facility exhibits very low thermal performance, with considerably high U-factors for all constructive elements (from 4 to 5 W/m2∙K), still use of diesel oil for indoor space heating and domestic heat water production and ineffective, old lamps and luminaries covering the lighting needs of the facility. The energy performance upgrade of the indoor sport hall was holistically approached, through all possibly applicable passive and active measures: insulation of opaque surfaces and replacement of openings, installation of new stone wool panels, installation of heat pumps for indoor space conditioning, elimination of diesel oil for any final energy use, installation of a solar-combi system for domestic hot water production, upgrade of all indoor and outdoor lighting equipment, installation of solar tubes on the main sport hall roof for natural lighting and installation of a photovoltaic plant on the same roof for the compensation of the remaining electricity consumption. With the proposed measures, the indoor sport hall is upgraded to zero energy facility. The payback period of the investment was calculated at 26 years, on basis of the avoided energy resources procurement cost. This work has been funded by the Horizon 2020 project with the acronym “NESOI” and was awarded with the public award of the “Islands Gamechanger” competition of the NESOI project and the Clean Energy for EU Islands initiative.

Climbing is an Olympic discipline in full development and multidisciplinary in nature, in which the influence of body composition and nutritional status on performance has not yet been clarified despite the quest for low weight in anti-gravity disciplines such as climbing. The present study aimed to do a nutritional (3-day dietary diaries) and body composition (ISAK profile) assessment of sport climbing athletes of different genders and sport levels. The mean age of the forty-six Spanish climbers (22 men and 24 women) was 30 years (SD: 9) with 7.66 years of experience (SD: 6.63). The mean somatotype of the athletes was classified as balanced mesomorph. Negative correlations were observed between fat mass variables and climbing level (p<0.01), and positive correlations with forearm circumference (p<0.05). Mean energy availability (EA) was 33.01 kcal-kg FFM1-d1 (SD: 9.02), with 55.6% of athletes in suboptimal EA status and 35.6% in low energy availability (LEA) status. Carbohydrate and protein intakes were below recommendations in 57.8% and 31.1% of athletes, respectively. There were deficient intakes of all micronutrients except phosphorus in males. These findings suggest that climbing athletes are at high risk of developing low energy availability states and concomitant problems. Optimal nutritional monitoring may be advisable in this type of athlete to try to reduce the risk of LEA.

In surgically treated individuals with surgical stomas, the return to sports activity is an indicator of quality of life that reflects their well-being. With the aim of synthesizing the available evidence regarding the return to physical activity and sports practice in individuals with surgical stomas, a scoping review was developed following the methodological approach of the Joanna Briggs Institute and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews criteria. Searches were conducted in Medline (PubMed), Scopus, Web of Science, Cinahl, and Lilacs, as well as the meta-search engines TripDatabase and Epistemonikos, using the MeSH terms "exercise", "return to sports", and "surgical stomas"; including studies in Spanish, English, Portuguese, and German, without any limitation on the year of publication. A total of n = 15 studies with different designs were included (n = 2 qualitative; n = 1 cohort; n = 8 cross-sectional; n = 2 case reports; n = 1 case series; and n = 1 Randomized Clinical Trial), which showed variability in the quality of the designs. The studies revealed the complex relationship between physical activity and having surgical stomas, associated with the individuals' characteristics. There is a need to increase the number and rigor of research to understand the phenomenon of return to physical activity and sport, thus providing evidence-based clinical recommendations for sports practice in people with stomas.

Recovery between physical efforts is essential for optimal performance in sports. Dietary supplements like cannabidiol (CBD) have been proposed to facilitate recovery and performance optimization. This systematic review aimed to: a) systematize the scientific evidence on CBD for recovery, b) associate CBD's biomedical properties with those required for optimal fatigue recovery, and c) recommend a future research agenda. Searches across databases identified 70 relevant studies from 1990-2022, including 38.6% preclinical, 31.4% clinical trials, and 30.0% reviews/meta-analyses across various populations like mice, rats, epileptics, and athletes. CBD demonstrated potentially beneficial properties for athlete recovery such as anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anxiolytic, and analgesic effects with doses ranging from 5-600mg administered orally, intravenously, and via other routes. However, rigorous confirmatory research specifically in athlete populations is lacking. While CBD appears promising for facilitating recovery and performance optimization, further randomized placebo-controlled trials are needed to test the acute and chronic effects of different CBD dosing regimens in athletes. Future research should focus on elucidating CBD's physiological mechanisms of action as they relate to post-exercise recovery, as well as its comparative effectiveness versus conventional medications and therapies. Advancing our understanding of CBD's role in athlete recovery could provide new therapeutic strategies to optimize recovery and performance.

Interest on psychosocial predictors of doping has been increasing as a way of finding new approaches to reduce use of performance-enhancing drugs. This investigation aimed to test the psychometric properties of an instrument to asses doping attitudes in Brazilian athletes. The PEAS was validated to Brazilian sports through a process of translation, back-translation and content validity assessment, presenting satisfactory evidences based on its content (CVC&gt;0.80). Then, 994 athletes, from different sexes, types of sports and competitive levels, answered to the Brazilian version of the PEAS. Results showed satisfactory evidences of validity based on its response process, internal structure [X2/df = 2.04; RMSEA = 0.032 (0.026-0.038); CFI = 0.96; TLI = 0.95] and reliability (Cronbach’s α, McDonald’s ω, and CR &gt; 0.70). Network analysis was also used to further explore PEAS’s internal structure. Overall results provide support for the adoption of the PEAS for Brazilian athletes and possibly other Portuguese-speaking countries.

Studies show that although female soccer players often have shorter change of direction (COD) deficits than males, indicating different biomechanical profiles, there is lack of research on the impact of physical metrics on COD performance in females. The aim of this study was to analyze whether performance metrics based on speed, and jumping could explain the variation in %CODD in young female soccer players. Thirty-three highly trained adolescent female soccer players (age: 16. ± 0.95 years; height: 160.4 ± 5.22 cm; body mass: 55.7 ± 7.22 kg) performed COD180 tests, 10-m and 30-m sprint test and single leg countermovement and horizontal jumps. Acceleration in the first 10 meters of a sprint was identified as a significant predictor of COD180 performance (R2 = 28%), (R2 = 50%), (p

This study aimed to examine the physical response of international referees, participating in different levels of world competitions for footballers with cerebral palsy (CP). Thirteen international referees, who officiated 49 matches in the men’s 2022 World Cup (1st to 15th ranked teams) and 2022 World Championships (16th to 30th ranked teams), participated in this study. A cross-sectional design was used to determine the physical responses and compare the 1st and 2nd halves and the performance in the different tournaments, recording physical variables throughout the matches. Significant higher physical responses (p &lt; 0.05; d = 0.50-0.93; moderate to large) were observed in the World Cup in comparison to the World Championship. Overall, high-level tournaments have been shown to elicit more intense physical responses from referees officiating CP football matches compared to lower-level tournaments. For the World Cup, significantly higher number of accelerations (p = 0.01; d = -0.55; moderate) and decelerations (p &lt; 0.01; d = -0.54; moderate) were registered in the 1st half compared to the 2nd half. This information may be useful for the strength and conditioning coaches of referees to plan weekly training sessions more specifically and adjust the periodical training load and post-match recovery protocols.

Background: Caffeine is an ergogenic aid that still needs to be investigated in female sports per-formance. Methods: Eight semi-professional female volleyball (Heigth=1.63±0.08 m; Weigth= 66.67 ± 4,.74 kg) players voluntarily participated in this study. A randomised crossover design was carried out. Players went through the caffeine and placebo condition. In the caffeine condi-tion, participants consumed 5 mg/kg of caffeine. The evaluations were performed over two weeks of training. In both conditions, the countermovement jump test, repeated jumps for 15s and hand-grip were performed. Change of direction was assessed using the 505 test. Well-being was also assessed by a wellness questionnaire. A repeated measures Anova and correlation analysis were performed. Results: The repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a main effect of supplementation (F (1.7) = 8.41, p = 0.02, η2 = 0.54) across the training week on physical performance. Besides, there was a positive effect on perceived fatigue (F (1.7) = 7.29, p = 0.03, η2 = 0.51). Conclusions: Caf-feine improved performance and fatigue parameters over one week of training.

Regular physical activity is considered one of the most valid tools able to reduce the risk of on-set of many diseases in humans. However, it is known that intense physical activity is able to induce high levels of genomic damage, while a moderate exercise was found to induce a favora-ble adaptive response by the organism. We evaluated, in a sample of amateur athletes practicing different disciplines, the level of genomic damage by means of the buccal micronuclei assay, comparing obtained data with those of subjects who practiced sport occasionally or that do not practiced any sport. The aim was to evaluate whether physical activity affects background levels of genomic damage and whether the different sports disciplines, as well as some genes poly-morphisms, differentially affect these levels. A total of 206 subjects, 125 athletes and 81 controls, were recruited. Athletes showed significantly lower values of micronuclei, nuclear buds and bi-nucleated cells with respect to controls. Sprinters and martial arts athletes showed significantly higher frequencies of micronuclei than other categories of athletes. Finally, neither sex nor gene polymorphisms seem to influence the levels of genomic damage, confirming that the observed genomic damage is probably due to the type of the sport activity.

An integration between the principles in supply change management in sport tourism and sustainability balanced scorecard leads to development of guidance and assessment criteria for a city to be a sustainable sport tourist destination. This paper aims to present a sport tourism sustainability management model (STSM), consisting of 5 perspectives, namely financial perspective, customer perspective, internal process perspective, learning and growth perspective and sustainability perspective. By using Delphi technique to obtain a consensus from experts, university lecturers, independent organization/association and business entities in relation to sport tourism management, the researcher defines elements to assess complex perspective for sustainable development of sport tourism. The result shows that there are 5 perspectives and 18 elements in relation to sustainable development of sport tourism. All perspectives and elements have high consensus as measured by Kendall’s Coefficient of Concordance (W) of .488. To validate the model, the researcher examines correlation among the five perspectives with structural equation model and finds that the absolute fit is satisfactory, with the value of CMIN/DF at 1.830, RMSEA at .046, GFI at .951, AGFI at .919 and RMR at .038. In addition, the incremental fit also demonstrates positive result with the value of NFI at .962, CFI at .982, TLI at .973 and IFI at .982. As the model aligns and explains empirical data, it can support decision making for management team, effective and efficient strategy drafting for sustainable development in sport tourism and improving livelihoods of residents.

The work shows a single case intervention based on the motivational coaching model the “Cantón’s Giraffe”, theoretically and experimentally proven in a 20-years-old dancesport practitioner, who considered improving her execution with her dance partner. Methodological triangulation was used [34], combining a test-retest quantitative measure (Using Ryff Psychological Wellbeing Scales; the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Questionnaire and an ad-hoc instrument for the motivational force assessment) and subjective analysis of the responses from the interviews conducted. A three-phase intervention protocol was used [33]: identification, intervention, and follow-up. The results show an improvement in reevaluation scores, an increase in the subjective evaluation, and participant satisfaction and perceived resources raised at the end of the intervention. These results are in line with previous similar studies.

Taking into account Bar-On’s postulations about social-emotional intelligence, the aim of the current work is to find out the differences in the five dimensions of this intelligence between children that practice organized sport and those children that do not practice it at elementary school level, to show that an increasing in the number of hours per day performing this activity causes differences in some of these dimensions. Hence, a sample of 940 children from elementary schools, ranging in age from 6 to 12 years old, attending different schools from the Autonomous Community of Extremadura (Spain), was used. Results showed that children who practiced organized sport had better coping abilities for stress, adaptability, and mood states, and that they are more emotionally intelligent than those who did not. Moreover, children who practiced for fewer hours daily (up to 2 hours) had better stress coping than those who practiced more. To conclude, it is important to promote the sport federative practice in elementary education, in order to ensure that children learn to better regulate and manage their emotions, without increasing it to an excessive number of hours per day, which may generate greater stress that might be difficult to control.

The last few decades have witnessed a surge of interest in adventure sports, and an emerging research focus on these activities. However, recent conceptual analyses and scientific reviews have highlighted a major, fundamental question that remains unresolved: what constitutes an adventure sport (and are they ‘sports’ at all)? Despite several proposals for definitions, the field still seems to lack a shared conceptualization. This deficit may be a serious limitation for research and practice, restricting the development of a more nuanced theoretical explanation of participation and prac-tical implications within and across adventure sports. In this article we address another crucial question, how can adventure sports be better understood for research and practice? We briefly summarize previous definitions to address evident confusion and lack of conceptual clarity in the discourse. Alternatively, we propose how an ecological perspective on human behaviors, as in-teractions with the environment, may provide an appropriate conceptualization to guide and enhance future research and practice, using examples from activities such as freeride skiing / snowboarding, white-water kayaking, climbing, mountaineering and the fields of sport science, psychology and avalanche research and education. We draw on ecological dynamics as a trans-disciplinary approach to discuss how this holistic framework presents a more detailed, nuanced, and precise understanding of adventure sports.

We aimed at studying the role technology readiness/acceptance, motivation for exercising, and sensation seeking plays in using or avoiding Smart Sport Watches (SSW). A sample of 315 adolescents, Mage = 29.6 (SD = 11.01) and healthy male (n = 95, 30.2%) and female (n = 179, 56.85%) completed all the measures of these variables’ dimensions via the internet. Multiple followed by univariate analyses of variance (MANOVA, ANOVA) were performed for each of the study’s psychological dimensions and single variables. The two categorical factors (e.g., BS factors) were the use of SSW (yes/no) and walk/run (yes/no). Results revealed that adolescents using SSW rated themselves significantly (p < .05) and substantially higher than their non-SSW users on positive readiness for technology (d = .47), and specifically on optimism (d = .34) and innovation (d = .51). Moreover, users of SSW reported significantly (p < .05) and substantially lower negative readiness for technology than their non-SSW users’ counterparts (d = -0.49), and specifically on discomfort (d = -0.38) and distrust (d = -50), but neither on the overall motivation for exercise dimensions nor on sensation-seeking, accept some trends. Moreover, Adolescents who walk/run reported being more internally motivated (d = 0.38), integrated (d = 0.61), and identified (d = 0.34) than their sedentary counterparts. Discussion centers on the important role of readiness/acceptance in using technological devices and the need to use technology-specific motivation and personality measures to further explore this phenomenon.

The prevalence of sexual harassment and abuse in school sport, specifically from coaches to their athletes remains a concerning and pervasive issue. In an attempt to better understand and prevent specific coach-behaviours associated with such sexual misconduct, researchers have developed the Sexual Violence Questionaire in Sport. While the reliability of this measurement tool has been tested in anglo-saxon cultural contexts, it is not known whether the questionnaire is applicable to other cultural contexts. A sample of 146 (52 female, 94 male) Bachelor students from a university in the Basque Country participated in this cross cross-sectional study. The questionnaire was administered twice over a two-week period to assess test-retest reliability. The internal consistency of the Sexual Violence Questionaire in Sport was high, with Cronbach's alpha values of 0.891 for perceptions and 0.813 for experiences across all participants. Gender-specific analysis showed similar reliability, with females having slightly lower alpha values for perceptions. Significant differences between test and retest were found (10 from perceptions 2 from experiences). However, Cohen’s Kappa analysis showed significant agreement across all items. In conclusion, the study highlights the questionnaire’s overall reliability and suggests its effectiveness as a tool for measuring sexual violence in sports within the Spanish context. Nonetheless, the findings of this study underscore the need for further research to enhance the instrument's stability and to better understand gender differences in perceptions and experiences of sexual violence in sports contexts.

This study explored differences in student-athletes’ symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress pre- to post-COVID-19 pandemic. The WHO reported a 25% increase in depression and anxiety rates worldwide with young people disproportionately affected. Student-athletes face many stressors related to their sporting and academic feats but what is not known is how the COVID-19 pandemic affected their experiences of mental illness. A multiple cohort cross-sectional study design was employed, and data collected using physical and online surveys. Participants (M age = 19.98 years, SD = 1.50) were recruited from UK universities (N = 807; 427 pre-pandemic cohort, 380 post-pandemic cohort). Results revealed statistically significant differences in mean depression, anxiety, and stress scores between cohorts. Scores for the post-pandemic cohort were significantly higher than pre-pandemic, suggesting a worsening of symptom severity. Distributions of student-athletes across categories of symptom severity also worsened for depressive and anxiety symptoms post-pandemic and were skewed towards more severe categories. Symptoms of de-pression, anxiety, and stress were a concern pre-pandemic. Rates are higher in the post-pandemic cohort, suggesting a worsening of symptoms. This data adds to evidence on student-athletes’ symptoms of mental illness by exploring a UK sample and comparing scores pre- and post-pandemic.

Badminton is one of the most popular racket sports played by children up to the elderly worldwide. Everyone can practice and play badminton as a leisure or competitive sport, regardless of age, experience, or skill level. It does not require physical contact among players and expensive equipment. Compared with closed-skill exercise (e.g., running, swimming), open-skill exercise (e.g., badminton, table tennis) has been reported to intervene more with cognitive function and prevent cognitive decline. In this review, we outline the characteristics of badminton’s beneficial effects on physical and cognitive aspects. The characteristics presented here indicate that intervention with regular badminton exercise could effectively improve cognitive function and prevent cognitive decline in the elderly.

(1) Background: Ultra-endurance exercise involves a high physical impact, resulting in muscle damage, inflammatory response and production of free radicals that alter the body's oxidative state. Supplementation with antioxidants, such as beetroot, may improve recovery in ultra-endurance runners. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a correlation between the beetroot intake and the recovery of serum oxidative status, inflammatory response and muscle damage parameters after an ultra-endurance race. (2) Methods: An observational and longitudinal study was conducted by means of surveys and blood samples collected from 32 runners during the IX Penyagolosa Trails CSP® race and the two following days. The variables C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK), the activity of the antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GR), as well as the oxidative damage markers malondialdehyde (MDA), carbonyl groups (CG) and loss of muscle strength using the Squat Jump test (SJ) were analyzed to discriminate whether beetroot consumption can modulate the recovery of ultra-trail runners. (3) Results: Significant differences were observed between runners who ingested beetroot and those who did not, in terms of oxidative status, specifically in serum GPx activity at 24 and 48 hours, muscle damage variables CK and LDH and in SJ test at the finish line. Therefore, the intake of supplements containing beetroot positively influences the recovery of serum oxidative status and muscle damage after ultra-endurance running.

Squash is a sport where referee decisions are essential to the game. However, referee decisions in squash are very subjective in nature. Disputes, both from the players and the audience, regularly happen because the referee made a controversial call. In this study ,we proposed to automate the referee decision process through machine learning. We trained neural networks to predict squash referee decisions using data from 400 referee decisions acquired through extensive video footage reviewing and labeling. Six positional values were extracted, including the attacking player’s position, the retreating player’s position, the ball’s position in the frame, the ball’s projected first bounce, the ball’s projected second bounce, and the attacking player’s racket head position. We calculated nine additional distance values, such as the distance between players and the distance from the attacking player's racket head to the ball's path. Models were trained on Wolfram Mathematica and Python using these values. The best Wolfram Mathematica model achieved an 86% ± 3.03% accuracy, while the best Python model performed a 0.852 ± 0.051 accuracy (85.2% ± 5.1%). These accuracies surpass 85%, demonstrating near-human performances. Our model has great potential for improvement as it's currently trained with limited data (400 referee decisions) and lacks crucial data points such as time and speed. The performance of our model is almost surely going to improve significantly with a larger training data set. Unlike human referees, machine learning models follow a consistent standard, have unlimited attention spans, and make decisions instantly. If the accuracy is improved in the future, the model can potentially serve as an extra refereeing official for both professional and amateur squash matches. Both the analysis of referee decisions in squash and proposal to automate the process using machine learning is unique to this study.

(1) Background: The analysis of athletic performance has always aroused great interest from sport scientist. This study utilized machine learning methods to build predictive models using a comprehensive CrossFit (CF) dataset, aiming to reveal valuable insights into the factors influencing performance and emerging trends.; (2) Methods: The study used Random Forest (RF) and Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) models to predict performance in four key weightlifting exercises within CF: clean &amp; jerk, snatch, back squat, and deadlift. Performance was evaluated using R-squared (R2) values and Mean Squared Error (MSE). Feature importance analysis was conducted using RF, XGBoost, and AdaBoost models.; (3) Results: The RF model excelled in deadlift performance prediction (R2 = 0.80), while the MLR model demonstrated remarkable accuracy in clean &amp; jerk (R2 = 0.93). Across exercises, clean &amp; jerk consistently emerged as a crucial predictor. The feature importance analysis revealed intricate relationships among exercises, with gender significantly impacting deadlift performance.; (4) Conclusions: This research advances our understanding of performance prediction in CF through machine learning techniques. It provides actionable insights for practitioners, optimize performance, and demonstrates the potential for future advancements in data-driven sports analytics.

The purpose of this research was two-fold: (a) to observe whether highly trained adolescent swimmers abide to vitamin D supplement recommendations; and (b) to monitor changes in circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) that occur between the autumn and winter months. Twenty swimmers (age: 17 ± 2 years) from a UK high-performance swimming club volunteered to complete two blood spot cards to determine 25(OH)D concentration: the first in an autumn training phase (October) and the second during winter training (January). All swimmers were advised to consume vitamin D3 supplements across the assessment period; however, only 50% of swimmers adhered to this recommendation. Resultantly, a winter decline in 25(OH)D was observed in non-supplementing swimmers (79.6 ± 25.2 to 52.6 ± 15.1 nmol·L-1, p = 0.005), with swimmers either displaying an ‘insufficient’ (60%) or ‘deficient’ (40%) vitamin D status. In comparison, greater maintenance of 25(OH)D occurred in supplementing swimmers (92.0 ± 25.5 to 97.2 ± 38.3 nmol·L-1, p = 0.544), although variable outcomes occurred at the individual level (four increased, three maintained, three declined). These findings highlight possible risks of vitamin D insufficiency during the winter for swimmers in the UK, possibly requiring standardised supplement practices. Moreover, alternative educational strategies may be required for swimmers to transfer knowledge to practice in order to improve supplement adherence in future.

The aim of this study was to observe the nutritional supplement practices of highly trained swimmers on a national talent pathway, since it is often reported that swimmers engage in widespread supplement use at the elite level. Thus, this study conducted short interviews based on a validated supplement intake questionnaire with forty-four swimmers from a high-performance swimming club, which had three distinct talent stages: development (aged 11–14 years, n = 20), age-group (aged 13 – 17 years, n = 13), and national level (aged ≥16 years, n = 11). Ninety-eight percent of the interviewed swimmers reported using at least one supplement, with performance (34%) and recovery (19%) cited as the primary reasons. National swimmers used more total supplements (8.1 ± 3.4 supplements) compared to age-group (4.8 ± 2.0 supplements, p = 0.003, g = 1.17) and development (3.9 ± 1.7 supplements, p <0.001, g = 1.69) swimmers, mostly because of a greater intake of ergogenic aids (2.4 ± 1.4 supplements vs. age-group: 0.5 ± 0.5 sup-plements, p <0.001, g = 1.12; vs. development: 0.1 ± 0.2 supplements, p <0.001, g = 1.81). Par-ents/guardians were the primary supplement informants of development swimmers (74%, p <0.001, V = 0.50), whereas performance nutritionists informed ~50% of supplements used by age-group and national swimmers (p <0.001, V = 0.51). Based on these results, supplement edu-cation and greater focus on basic sport nutrition practices may be required for parents/guardians at the development level. Moreover, further research is needed to support the high number of ergogenic aids used by national swimmers, with the efficacy of these supplements currently equivocal in the applied setting.

Background/Objectives: The purpose of the proposed study is disclosure of correlations between the dynamics of the Breathe Rate (BR) and Heart Rate (HR) when performing the intermittent physical operation at maximum power on a cycle ergometer.Methods: The stage on the study of the General functional athlete readiness (GFAR) performed using the sports standard “Red Engine” and the cycle ergometer in 16 volunteers (10 men, 6 women) whose average age was 21±1.17 years. To determine the sports potential of the volunteers in this study, we used own Coefficient of Anaerobic Capacity (CANAC Q, beats). Continuous recording of the heart rate and respiratory rate of volunteers in the maximum power sports test was carried out by the “RheoCardioMonitor” device with an athlete functional readiness module based on the method of Transthoracic electrical impedance rheography (TEIRG).Results: The degree of correlation of functional indicators (M, HR_M, GFAR) with CANAC Q for the group in full (n=80) occurred at a very high level, which confirmed the effectiveness of using the Coefficient of Anaerobic Capacity (CANAC Q) in assessing the general functional athlete readiness of the volunteers. Conclusions: CANAC Q measured in “beats” of the heart and recorded very accurately using the method of transthoracic electrical impedance rheography (TEIRG). For this reason as promising sports PSM-system, CANAC Q can replace the methods for determining the functional athlete readiness by blood lactate concentration and maximum oxygen consumption.

Mint and to a lesser extent menthol have been used since antiquity for medicinal purposes. Key components of mint and menthol use such as composition and intake, safety and traditional uses are discussed prior to a review of clinical and human performance outcomes in the areas of digestive and respiratory health; antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, nocioception, migraine and headache and emerging evidence regarding COVID 19. Evidence suggests benefit for patients with irritable bowel syndrome and related digestive issues, with analgesic and respiratory effects also noted. Perceptual characteristics relating to thermal comfort and sensation, taste sensitivity and alertness are also considered; these effects are predominantly driven by stimulation of transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) activity resulting in sensations of cooling and freshness, with lesser influence on thirst. Finally, sport performance is considered as a domain that may further elucidate some of the aforementioned underpinning outcomes due to its systemic and dynamic nature, especially when performed in hot environmental conditions.

Initiatives to safeguard athletes from interpersonal violence (IV) are rapidly growing. In Belgium, the knowledge on the magnitude of IV in sport is based on one retrospective prevalence study from 2016 (n=2.043 adults), who participated in organized sport before 18 years. Data on victimization rates in current youth sport populations are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the magnitude of IV in a sample of 769 athletes (13-21 years old), using the Violence Towards Athletes Questionnaire (VTAQ). All types of IV are prevalent in this sample, ranging from 27% (sexual violence) to 79% (psychological violence and neglect). Boys reported significantly more physical violence, while girls reported significantly more sexual violence. IV perpetrated by peer athletes was reported to the same degree as IV perpetrated by a coach (70%), while IV perpetrated by a parent in the context of sport was somewhat less common, but still prevalent (48%). These findings, including factors associated with elevated exposure rates, can serve as a baseline measurement to monitor and evaluate current and future safeguarding interventions in Belgian sport.

The study is devoted to the issues of mathematical modeling and simulating the sport differential mechanism (DM) with controllable torque redistribution. The issue is caused by the elaboration of ADAS systems with the automated torque vectoring for transmissions of all-wheel-drive (AWD) vehicles and the inclusion of such devices in the combined autonomous vehicle trajectory control scheme. At the article's beginning, the use of devices for redistributing traction forces is reasoned by analyzing the curvilinear vehicle motion, where they could ensure the accuracy of vehicle steerability. The literature review highlights modern developments in the field of modeling and researching such DMs. Considering the vehicle turn with a minimum radius, the conditions corresponding to passing greater torque over the outrunning rear axle are determined. All the mechanism's components and loads acting between them are described in detail. To form an original method of mathematical description of the mechanism functioning, the system of differential equations, systems of kinematic and force connections are considered separately. The article details the mathematical approach to generalize the way for automating the equation compilation for rotational mechanical systems such as vehicle transmissions. In the simulation section, a Simulink model reflecting the functional components and calculation procedures is presented. A series of testing and simulations on the DM operation with forcible torque distribution is carried out. Modeling data are presented, and the analysis of simulation results is performed. In the completion, conclusions are made regarding the scope and use of this model and the prospects for further developing the method proposed to automate the formation of equation systems.

Inequalities between men and women in the workplace are reflected in professional sports, specifically in football refereeing. This phenomenon sometimes becomes sexual harassment, since it is a stereotypically considered male profession, in which women are a minority. In order to measure that behaviour, it is necessary to count on valid and reliable tools. Therefore, the goal of this study was to determine the factorial structure and the discriminant and convergent validity of the ‘sexual experiences questionnaire’, version of the Department of Defence (SEQ-DoD). Eighty-nine male football referees and ninety-four female football referees, with a mean age of 23.30 ± 4.85 years, participated in this studio conducted in Andalusia, Spain. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed using the robust maximum-likelihood estimation method. Goodness of fit was assessed and the factorial invariance was calculated to determine the stability of the model. Subsequently, the validity was confirmed. The results corroborated the validity and reliability of the questionnaire adapted to the population studied. Therefore it can be used as a research instrument.

The aim of this paper is to analyze the five grand parks in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and provide a geoprocessing approach to different aspects such as sport, health, leisure, recreation, and public wellbeing. The study uses a hybrid of qualitative and quantitative approach as methodology. Sustainability offerings, accessibility for people of determination and special needs, typology and the geolocations of the grand parks plays crucial role in residents’ wellbeing. The paper concludes with recommendations for Dubai government to design new and innovative approaches to manage wellbeing of urban public places into the leisure environment for residents.

The classic Body Mass Index, (BMI), developed in the 19^th century by the Belgian mathematician Adolphe Quetelet [1] is an important indicator of the risk of death, of obesity, of negative health consequences, body fat percentage and of the shape of the body. While he BMI is assumed to indicate obesity in sedentary people and in people who do not practice sports, it is undisputed and a consensus among researchers [2][3][4][5][9][25] that Body Mass Index (BMI) is not a good indicator for obesity in people who developed their body through heavy physical work or sport but also in other segments of population such as those who appear to have a normal weight but in fact have a high body fat percentage and obese methabolism. The BMI also does not include all the variables essential for a health predictor. The BMI is not always a good predictor of metabolic disease, people who appear of healthy weight according to BMI have in some cases an obese metabolic syndrome. The BMI was developed as a law of natural sciences and “social physics” [1], as it was called then, before the middle of the 19^th century, and it had been used from the 70s for medical purposes, to detect obesity and the risk of mortality [6][7]. The BMI has a huge importance for modern society, affected by an obesity epidemic [8]. BMI has applications in medicine, sport medicine, sport, fitness, bodybuilding, insurance, nutrition, pharmacology. The main limitation of the BMI is that it does not account for body composition including non fat body mass such as muscles, joints, body frame and makes no difference between fat and non fat components of the body weight. The body composition and the proportion of fat and muscles make a difference in health outcomes [12][13][14][25][26][27][35][36][37] [38][39][40][41][42][43][44]…[100]. Body composition makes a difference also in the level of sport performance for athletes of every level. In nearly two centuries since the Body Mass Index was developed, no formula had been successfully developed to account for body composition and make the difference between muscle and fat in a consistent way. This can be considered a longstanding open problem of major importance for society. The objective of this analysis is to develop new formulae taking into account the health implication of body composition measured through indirect, simple indicators and making the difference between muscles and fat, healthy and non healthy metabolism. The formulae developed in this article are the only formula to successfully generalize BMI and make this difference. I develop a direct generalization of BMI, in the mathematical and physiological sense to account for fat and fat free mass and muscles, small and large body frames. It is the first such generalization because the classic BMI can be determined as a particular case of my formulae in the strict mathematical and practical physiologic sense. No other formula generalized the BMI to make the difference between fat and a large frame and muscles has ever been published in nearly two centuries since the BMI formula had been developed. The formulae I developed explain and generalize the conclusions of a large number of highly cited empirical experiments cited in the reference section. [35][36][37][38][38][39] [40][42][43][44]..[100] Most of the experimental proof I bring in support of my formulae and bodyweight quantification theory comes from many highly cited experimental research publications in medicine, sports medicine, sport science and physiology. My formulae explain also performance in decades of competitive sports and athletics

Sports are framed within the context of the Olympic spirit and are, therefore, within the vision and mission of the Olympic Committee, aimed at “building a better world”. This is identified as a fundamental value and sustainability is therefore explicitly considered to be a “working principle” of this. In this research an analysis of the performance of professional European football teams publicly listed on stock markets, restating the income statements according to the Value-Added perspective is carried out. This takes into account the effective sustainable contribution in the distribution of added value with reference to the human, structural, debt, infrastructural, and risk capitals of these organisations. The Value-Added Statement is considered as a part of the broader CSR Reporting and can be traced back to the late 1970s. However, it is in widespread contemporary use and is regarded as being both a credible and a tested measure. In this paper, the authors apply a slightly modified and simplified version of this tool to these publicly listed European football clubs as a proxy for wider professional sport. This research demonstrates that, although professional sports clubs are profit-oriented, the distribution of wealth generated by the added value is unbalanced. In most cases, at least in financial terms, shareholders are the most disadvantaged and athletes are the most rewarded.

This study aimed to determine the correlation between inter-limb asymmetries and physical per-formance metrics in adolescent female tennis players. Methods: Twenty-five female tennis players (age: 13.29 ± 0.98 years; weight: 52.52 ± 7.31 kg; height: 162.91 ± 6.02 cm) consented to participate in the study. Performance was evaluated using various variables, including bilateral and unilat-eral countermovement jump (CMJ), bilateral and unilateral horizontal jump (HJ), 180º change of direction (180COD) conducted with both the right and left legs, and a 20-m sprint. The systematic bias was evaluated by one-way repeated measures analysis of variance, Pearson’s correlation test for relationships between variables, and the kappa coefficient for consistency in the asymmetry direction. Results Significant relationships were found between CMJ Asymmetry and the varia-bles HJR (r=-0.47) and HJL (r=-0.44). In addition, significant relationships were found between HJ Asymmetry and the variables CMJR (r=-0.60) and CMJL (r=-0.54), HJR (r=-0.64), HJL (r=-0.67), CMJ (r=-0.55) and HJ (r=-0.52). Conclusion Jumping tests are important indicators of performance loss in female tennis players. In addition, no significant correlation was found be-tween the 180COD and performance tests, suggesting that asymmetries in COD do not affect jump performance or speed. Based on these results, it is recommended to integrate individualized pro-grams for each athlete to reduce asymmetries.

Background: Permanent tracheostomy because of total laryngectomy surgery entails great conse-quences for the patient regarding respiratory physiopathology such as the filtering, humidifying, and heating function of the air by the nose is lost. The use of special stomal filters can determine adequate protection of the trachea-broncho-pulmonary system with a reduction in respiratory pathologies. In fact, in most cases laryngectomee patients are first cigarette smokers who for this reason already have also respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Despite the availability of tracheal filters, multiple times, as reported in the literature, the patient tends to limit their use due to reported breathing difficulties, especially in conditions of intense breathing. Methods: The objective of this clinical study was to evaluate the most suitable stomal filter for the laryngectomee patient during physical activity. The filters studied were an INHEALTH device (Blom-Singer SpeakFree HME); two ATOS devices (Provox® Life™ Energy HME and Provox® Life™ Home HME); and an FAHL device (Laryvox HME Sport). Results: For this purpose, the performances of 31 laryngectomee patients, subjected to medi-um-high physical effort, were analyzed through a standardized pneumological test, the Six Minute Walking Test (6MWT) which involves a sustained walk lasting six minutes, with evaluation , every 60 seconds, heart rate, oxygen saturation and meters travelled; furthermore, it examines two sub-jective indices, namely, the basal and final dyspnea index and the initial and final muscular fatigue index.

The use of substances to improve sports performance is a widespread phenomenon among adolescents. Several anti-doping programs have been developed, mainly based on knowledge-based evidence. The main aim of the present study was to implement an anti-doping intervention in sports high school students, based on psychological framework, such as Socio-Cognitive Theory, through the development of a Serious Game (SG), i.e., a digital learning based on the game. The experimental design included an intervention group (n=167; F=37.7%; Meanage=17.5 years) and a control group (n=112; F=42%; Meanage=17.6). Both of groups completed the same questionnaire in two different occasions (i.e., time 1 and time 2), for measuring doping intention, self-regulatory efficacy to resist social pressure for the use of substances, moral disengagement, and doping knowledge. Data were analyzed through repeated measures of Group X Time ANOVA, demonstrating some degree of efficacy of the intervention, in particular, in terms of decrease of doping intention and the strengthening of doping knowledge. Moreover, we demonstrated that the score obtained during the implementation of the Serious Game partially could represent a coherent measure of the participants’ beliefs regarding doping. These results could be considered a starting point for future research to better develop technological anti-doping interventions.

Australia and New Zealand have the highest incidence of skin cancer. Sport is a fundamental part of Australasian culture, beginning in childhood, often with life-long participation. Participating in outdoor sports can contribute significantly to the lifetime ultraviolet radiation (UVR) dose individuals receive and their risk of developing skin cancer. This systematic scoping review explores the use of sun-protection by outdoor sporting participants in Australasia and considers how sun-protection practices may be better evaluated and improved in the community. A search of electronic databases using the search strategy “sun protection” AND “sport” AND “Australia” yielded 17 studies published in English from January 1992 to August 2021. Study methods included using UV-dosimeters to measure individual UVR-exposure; remote estimates of clothing-adjusted UVR-exposure; direct observation of sun-protection practices; and self-reported sun-exposure and sun-protection. Despite 40-years of ‘Slip Slop Slap’ campaigns in Australia, the use of sun-protection in most outdoor sports is inadequate. The paucity of comparable data limited our analyses, demonstrating a need for standardized, objective evaluation tools. Such tools, if used across a range of sports, should inform the development of workable recommendations that sporting clubs could implement and adopt into policy, thus empowering them to better protect the health of their participants.

Sport nutrition knowledge has been shown to influence dietary habits of athletes. The purpose of the current study was to examine relationships between sport nutrition knowledge and body composition and examine potential predictors of body weight goal in collegiate athletes. Participants included National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III women (n=42, height: 169.9 ± 6.9 cm; body mass: 67.1 ± 8.6 kg; fat-free mass: 51.3 ± 6.6 kg; body fat %: 24.2 ± 5.3%) and men (n=25, height: 180.8 ± 7.2 cm; body mass: 89.2 ± 20.5 kg; fat-free mass: 75.9 ± 12.2 kg; body fat %: 13.5 ± 8.9%) athletes. Body composition was assessed via air displacement plethysmography. Athletes completed a validated questionnaire designed to assess sport nutrition knowledge and were asked questions about their perceived dietary energy and macronutrient requirements, as well as their body weight goal (i.e. lose, maintain, gain weight). Athletes answered 47.98 ± 11.29 % of questions correctly on the nutrition questionnaire with no differences observed between sexes (men: 49.52 ± 11.76% vs. women: 47.03 ± 11.04%; p=0.40). An inverse relationship between sport nutrition knowledge scores and body fat percentage (r = -0.330; p=0.008), and fat mass (r = -.268; p=0.032) was observed for all athletes. Fat mass (β = 0.224), BF % (β = 0.217), and BMI (β = 0.421) were all significant (p&lt;0.05) predictors of body weight goal in women. All athletes significantly (p&lt;0.001) underestimated daily energy (-1,360 ± 610.2 kcal/d), carbohydrate (-301.6 ± 149.2 g/d), and fat (-41.4 ± 34.5 g/d) requirements. Division III collegiate athletes have a low level of sport nutrition knowledge, which was associated with a higher BF %. Women athletes with a higher body weight, BF % and BMI were more likely to select weight loss as a body weight goal. Athletes also significantly underestimated their energy and carbohydrate requirements based upon the demands of their sport, independent of sex.

The Body Mass Index (BMI) formula has been developed by Belgian mathematician Adolphe Quetelet and published in 1840 [1] as a law of nature and society, based on statistics about the weight and height of the population of that time, the first part of the 19^th century. He called it “social physics”. From then, for nearly two centuries, the BMI had been the most important formula describing the normal relations and ratio of weight to the square of the height for humans. The problem arises if the BMI formula, developed in the first part of the 19^th century is still good today when the type of work people perform is very different? In modern times, most people are less muscular than at the time when the BMI was developed because they do not work physically as heavy as at that time. In many cases, the Body Mass index can predict mortality, morbidity and illness but not always, for example cases such as (a) the obesity paradox for some cardiovascular problems and (b) the U shape mortality paradox as well as (c) false positive obesity diagnostic in regard to people who are strong and muscular, have low body fat percentage but are classified as obese by the BMI and (d) cases where BMI is normal but people have an “obese metabolism” (e) BMI normal but high fat percentage. The objective is to develop a formula good for all body types, a formula that makes the difference between fat and non-fat body weight such as muscle and body frame and quantifies the effect of strength and fitness, which BMI does not. Another objective is to develop a formula to predict the health risks and fitness status of people, better than BMI. The first generalizations of BMI using anthropometric metrics could be found in [2], where I discuss and analyze many formulae, developed, tested, and simulated by me, using similar new methods, accounting for body shape, physical shape and body function, making the difference between muscle mass and fat, fat and non fat body weight. Nearly all formulae and methods developed and proposed in this new model are new, never published before. Many experiments published before, in highly cited papers show that grip strength and muscle strength is a predictor of health, mortality, morbidity, endocrine and metabolic disease outside the BMI and anthropometric measures. The purpose of my formula is to explain the outcome of those experiments and create a formula which predicts these experiments [21-41].

Sports video analysis is an interesting and emerging field in the domain of computer vision. It has become a very popular subject among scholars all over the world in the last decade due to the need of automated classification of events such as offsides, in/out situations, goals and so on. The most important problem in sports video analysis is detection and tracking of ball and players. Extraction of court lines is also another important problem since it is necessary in the classification of aforementioned events. In this study, considering some of the previous work on the subject, we develop a method for tracking the ball and players in tennis videos where the camera position and orientation is supposed fixed.

The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of the playing position (backs vs. pivots vs. wings) and the player role (starter vs. non-starter) on internal match-load and well-being status of female handball players after official matches. Fourteen female handball players from the Spanish 2^nd Division were monitored during a half-season (13 matches, n = 102 individual observations) using rate of perceived exertion (match-RPE) and the Hooper questionnaire in MD+1 and MD+2. Differences between playing positions and player role were determined by Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U test, respectively. Furthermore, epsilon-squared (ε²) and Cohen's d (ES) were calculated and interpreted using Hopkins' categorization criteria. The results reveal that backs registered moderately more match-RPE compared to pivots (p < 0.05, ES = 0.84). In contrast, wings experienced the highest values of fatigue and muscle soreness in MD+1 and MD+2 compared to all other playing positions (p < 0.05, ES = 0.66-0.93). Also, wings reported moderately more Hooper index in MD+1 and MD+2 than backs (p < 0.01, ES = 0.73-0.77). Furthermore, starters reported higher absolute values of match-RPE, fatigue, muscle soreness and Hooper index in MD+1 compared to non-starters (p < 0.05, ES = 0.25-0.29). However, no differences were found in MD+2. Therefore, handball coaches and practitioners should consider the internal match-load and the well-being status of the players to implement different training stimulus (e.g., recovery or compensatory strategies) in MD+1 according to playing positions and player role to equalize the total weekly load of the players.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of physical literacy (PA) in primary school children in Santiago, Chile, and to explore the relationship between PA and body mass index (BMI). In addition, gender and age differences were analyzed in relation to PA levels in a context where childhood obesity remains a public health challenge. Methods: 439 students in grades 5-8 were assessed using the Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy - 2 (CAPL-2) questionnaire. Demographic variables (sex, age, and BMI) were correlated with levels of motivation to engage in physical activity and physical activity knowledge. Chi-square were applied with acceptable significance p<0.050 and good p<0.010. Results: The results revealed a significant correlation between motivation for physical activity and gender, with boys showing higher levels of motivation than girls. In addition, an inverse relationship was observed between BMI and motivation, suggesting that more motivated children tend to have a healthier BMI. Knowledge about physical activity increased with age, but did not have a significant influence on BMI. Conclusions: The findings highlight the need to design gender-specific interventions to promote PA and physical activity adherence, with motivation being a key factor in promoting a healthy lifestyle. Public health policies should address these factors to improve pediatric health in Chile.

There is a significant risk of injury in sports and intense competition due to the demanding physical and psychological requirements. Hamstring strain injuries (HSI) are the most prevalent type of injury among professional soccer players and are the leading cause of missed days in the sport. These injuries stem from a combination of factors, making it challenging to pinpoint the most crucial risk factors and their interactions, let alone find effective prevention strategies. Recently, there has been a growing recognition of the potential of tools provided by artificial intelligence (AI). However, current studies primarily concentrate on enhancing the performance of complex machine learning models, often overlooking their explanatory capabilities. Consequently, medical teams encounter difficulty interpreting these models and are hesitant to trust them fully. In light of this, there is an increasing need for advanced injury detection and prediction models that can aid doctors in diagnosing or detecting injuries earlier and with greater accuracy. Accordingly, this study aims to identify biomarkers of muscle injuries in professional soccer players through a biomechanical analysis, employing several ML algorithms, such as Decision tree (DT) methods, Discriminant methods, Logistic regression, Naive Bayes, Support vector machine (SVM), K-nearest neighbor (KNN), Ensemble methods, Boosted and bagged trees, Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), and XGBoost. In particular, XGBoost was also used to obtain the most important features. The findings highlight that the variables that most effectively differentiate the groups and could serve as reliable predictors for injury prevention are the maximum muscle strength of the hamstrings and the stiffness of the same muscle. With regards to the 35 techniques employed, a precision of up to 78% was achieved with XGBoost, indicating that by considering scientific evidence, suggestions based on various data sources, and expert opinions, it is possible to attain good precision, thus enhancing the reliability of the results for doctors and trainers. Furthermore, the obtained results strongly align with the existing literature, although further specific studies about this sport are necessary to draw a definitive conclusion.

Background: to know the existing documentation related to exogenous melatonin in the performance of professional soccer players. Methods: critical and systematic review. Data were obtained by looking up the following bibliographic data bases: Web of Science, MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Library and Scopus. The used terms were "Soccer Athlete", "Melatonin" and "Soccer Performance", using as a filter: "Humans". The search update was in May 2023. Results: having applied the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 8 articles were selected out of 59 retrieved references. The dose of melatonin administered in the studies ranged between 5 and 8 mg. The outcomes showed a decrease in oxidative stress, muscle damage and inflammatory markers in the melatonin-treated group. Conclusions: Exogenously administered melatonin seems to attenuate some of the effects derived from physical exercise such as oxidative stress, inflammation and muscle damage in professional soccer players, and since it has no potential adverse effects, it could be interesting to apply it in this population. However, the direct effects of melatonin supplementation on physical performance have not been demonstrated, so more research is needed on the intervention period, effective dose and larger participant populations.

The efficiency of performance in various sports has the development of certain specific skills at its core. In ice hockey, both the technical aspects (techniques, stance) and the cognitive ones (keeping attention on the puck, game strategy, etc.) are highly important. This study is aimed at the identification of specific features that determine the performance efficiency of professional hockey players. We used virtual reality (VR) to study the differences between professional ice hockey players and novices in terms of motor responses to the puck’s presentation on different levels of difficulty. The study involved 22 participants, 13 of them being professional ice hockey players (M_age=20±2.9; mean age of training experience М=14.18±3.8) and 9 being not experienced participants (M_age=20±1.4). The study showed that the stick response time of professional hockey players is significantly higher (0.98 ms vs 1.5 ms, p≤0.05) in more difficult situations close to a real game. Moreover, professionals proved to have more stable movement patterns of the knee and hip joints. They also make fewer head movements as a response to stimuli during all runs (0.66 vs 1.25, p≤0.05). Therefore, the results indicate specific spatial-temporal, technical and tactical, and energetic determinants, that ensure higher performance efficiency in hockey players

The hypothesis posed was whether participation in LaLiga Genuine Santander (competitive football) influenced the quality of life (QL) of the people who participated in it, since their perception of themselves is enhanced by all the aformentioned factors (self-determination, social inclusion, emotional well-being, physical well-being, material well-being, rights, personal development, interpersonal relationships). The objective was to evaluate the QL of people with Down's Syndrome (DS) using their self-perception (n=39) and the perception of the informants (family members, teachers) (n=39). The KidsLife-Down Scale, with a few modifications was used. In general, differences of opinion between the subgroups of participants with DS and informants showed that results were higher in terms of perception for participants in the DS subgroup. Scores for all variables were higher for those participants with DS who said they did engage in practicing competitive football. Despite the perception of informants provides a great deal of information regarding the QL of participants with DS, the latter should be involved in the evaluation process and their self perceptions taken into account. Our research shows that participation in the league modifies the perceptions of the participants with Down's Syndrome regarding their quality of life. However, these perceptions are not shared by the informants.

The objective was to model the teams’ style of play (SoP) in elite football and relate them to the match result. For this, the twenty Spanish first division teams in the 2016-17 season were analysed, using nine interaction performance indicators (IRi). A principal component (PC) analysis was applied. From two PCs four SoPs were established: deep or high-pressure defending, and elaborate or direct attack. The SoPs were distributed according to average performance obtained throughout the championship. The connection between the preferred SoP and the final result was estimated. Teams with elaborate offensive styles and teams defensively minded got better results. In addition, most of the teams showed variability in their SoP. The applications of the study are: 1) the IRi have served to identify SoP and can be used as a reference to optimize team performance; 2) teams should have a varied SoP repertoire, as well as being prepared to deal with different SoPs; 3) particular player profiles should be connected with the desired SoP when creating the squad. 4) clubs should develop a varied range of SoPs at their academies.

Monitoring training load, recovery, and wellness in maturation ages is even more relevant than in adulthood, especially during congested schedules. The objective of this study was to quantify and describe the differences in external and internal load, recovery, and perceived wellness in elite under-16 female players during a period of three competitions in seven days, based on their participation during matches. An observational design was used to quantify external load (total distance, high-speed distance, and PlayerLoad), internal load (differential sRPE), as well as recovery and wellness of 18 international under-16 players during a development tournament. The external load pattern of the starting players was undulating, with matches showing the highest internal load values compared to training sessions and non-starters. Non-starters players (whether training or matches) showed similar external load and differential sRPE values throughout the tournament (p&gt;0.05). Starting players experienced higher internal load than non-starters during matches (p&lt;0.037), without differences between training sessions (p&gt;0.05). No changes were seen in wellness or recovery (all p-values &gt;0.05), except for non-starters in session 3 compared to session 7 (p=0.024). Starting players had more weekly total minutes (p=0.018), differential sRPE (breath: p=0.002; leg: p=0.002; cognitive: p=0.003), total distance (p=0.003), and PlayerLoad (p=0.008) than non-starters. Our results indicate differing load patterns between starters and non-starters, which do not affect wellness and recovery differently. Starters accumulate more weekly total load. Coaches can use these findings to guide decisions and load compensations in high competition contexts for young female soccer players.

The aim of this study was to develop and assess the reliability and validity of an innovative field test that measures lower limb explosive power in basketball players (i.e., alactic anaerobic capacity) for the dominant and non-dominant leg. The test examines the performance of vertical, horizontal, and combined movements while holding the ball – similar to penetration of the basket or layup. Such capabilities are required throughout basketball practice and games, combined with upper and lower body coordination. The study included 22 male basketball players, ages 16-18, members of an elite youth league team in Israel. To assess validity, the participants performed the test for each leg, followed by nine standardized tests that were developed for a range of ball games, including basketball. To assess reliability, the participants performed a retest of the unique test 72-hours later. Our findings indicate the validity and reliability of the proposed anaerobic alactic field test for basketball players, for the dominant and non-dominant leg. Moreover, strong correlations were seen between the novel test and the standardized tests, with a high correlation for horizontal explosive power (0.5<r<0.7), a very high correlation for vertical explosive power (0.7<r<0.9), and a nearly perfect correlation for the two combined (r>0.9). In conclusion, this unique field test for basketball players could assist coaches in developing and applying optimal training programs and game plans, for players individually, and for the team as a whole. As the test measures each leg separately, it could also offer an assessment tool following players’ injuries.

The mental and emotional health of an athlete is crucial for their performance and well-being. Sports-related stress can significantly impair that mental health. Yoga of Immortals (YOI) is a unique combination of specific yogic postures, breathing exercises, sound therapy &amp; meditation, which has demonstrated benefit in improving measures of mental health. This study used the Sports Mind Inventory (SMI) to examine whether YOI can improve the resilience of athletes to sports-related stress. Participants were a diverse set of athletes based in Mauritius who routinely engage in a wide range of athletic activities. Participants were randomly assigned to receive four weeks of YOI or no intervention. Both groups completed the SMI questionarie at baseline and again after four weeks. The YOI intervention significantly increased the total mean SMI scores by 14%, indicating improved sports resilience and psychological health. No improvement was observed in the control group. This study demonstrates that YOI is a promising intervention in improving sports related stress.

Part 1 of this 2-paper series identified a wide and deep network of context, generative mechanisms and outcomes responsible for psychosocial development in a performance basketball club. In this – part 2 – study, the stakeholder’s programme theories were tested during a full-season ethnography of the same club. The findings confirm the highly individualised nature of each young person’s journey. Methodologically, immersion in the day-to-day environment generated a fine-grain analysis of the processes involved, including: i) sustained attentional focus; ii) structured and unstructured skill building activities; iii) deliberate and incidental support; and iv) feelings indicating personal growth. Personal development in and through sport is thus shown to be conditional, multi-faceted, time-sensitive and idiosyncratic. The findings of this two-part study are considered to propose a model of psychosocial development in and through sport. This heuristic tool is presented to support sport psychologists, coaches, club administrators and parents to deliberately create and optimise developmental environments.

The present study has been done using the Survey Research. The research sample scale equals 400 people, besides its statistical population is included the 15-year population and most of the city of Kerman in 2020. The method of multistage-cluster-stratified sampling was used in five districts of the city of Kerman, moreover the results have been analyzed by SPSS and AMOSS16 software, and only is one model fitted with reality among five models of designed path. The results of analysis of path diagram indicate that other coefficients of the path all of them are significant except the direct impact of one's image of the body on sport-based cultural capital and social class on the tendency toward the public sport. Other results of the study suggest that sport-based socio-economic capital leaves an indirect effect on sport-based cultural capital by which the tendency of citizens toward the sport grows up. At that showing athletic advertisements in the media are effective on the tendency of citizens to public sport.

Obesity is a serious problem of our society. A long-term positive trend in body weight gain continues to persist. Paediatric obesity arises from a changed lifestyle of children, characterised by an important restriction of their spontaneous physical activity. A lack of physical activity is one of the most important causes of paediatric obesity associated with a number of serious disorders. The paper evaluates the effect of physical activity on obesity in second stage pupils of elementary schools in the region of Ústí nad Labem. In their research survey, the authors determine the incidence of obesity and overweight as well as the relationship between physical activity and obesity in second stage pupils of elementary schools in the region of Ústí nad Labem. The data collection was based on questions of the CAV 2001 questionnaire and BMI-for-age. As revealed by the research survey, problems with obesity and overweight are present particularly in boys. Only a third of boys and girls engage in sufficient physical activity. At the same time, differences were shown in the study group where groups with higher BMI values had lower values of physical activity. Subsequently, a relationship was shown between those who use their bicycle as a means of transport and spend their leisure time bicycling at the same time. More than two thirds of the study subjects reported using a bicycle as a means of transport and using their bicycle in their leisure time as a means of being active; 93% of these subjects had normal body weight. Our results confirm the continued pandemic prevalence of obesity and indicate that appropriate physical activity should be included in the everyday life of children both at school and outside of school.

2S-hesperidin is a flavanone (flavonoid) found in high concentrations in citrus fruits. It has an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect, improving performance in animals. This study investigated the effects of chronic intake of an orange extract (2S-hesperidin) or placebo on aerobic-anaerobic and metabolic performance markers in amateur cyclists. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was carried out between late September and December 2018. Forty amateur cyclists were randomized into two groups: one taking 500mg/day 2S-hesperidin and other taking 500 mg/day placebo (microcellulose) for 8 weeks. All participants completed the study. Performance and metabolic aerobic-anaerobic markers were measured using incremental and rectangular tests by indirect calorimetry. The anaerobic power was determined using Wingate tests. After 8 weeks supplementation, there was a significant increase in the incremental test in estimated functional threshold power (FTP) (3.23%; p≤0.05) and maximum power (2.68%; p≤0.05) with 2S-Hesperdin compared to placebo. In the rectangular test, there was a significant decrease in VO₂ (-8.26%; p≤0.01) and VO₂R (-8.88%; p≤0.01) at VT2 in placebo; however, there were no significant differences between groups. In the Wingate test, there was a significant increase (p≤0.05) in peak and relative power in both groups, but without significant differences between groups. Supplementation with an orange extract (2S-hesperdin) 500mg/day improves estimated FTP and maximum power performance in amateur cyclists.

This study investigated the effects of two plyometric training protocols on sprint and change of direction (COD) performance in elite hockey players. A parallel-group randomized controlled trial design was used and seventeen elite male and female field hockey players were randomly allocated into either low-to-high (L-H, n = 8) or high-to-low (H-L, n = 9) training groups. Each group performed separate variations of the drop jump exercise twice weekly for six weeks, with an emphasis on either jump height (L-H) or drop height (H-L). Performance variables assessed included sprint times over 10 m and 20 m, as well as 505 time. A two-way repeated measures analysis of variance was performed and Cohen’s d effect sizes were calculated. The H-L group displayed significant small ES improvement from baseline to post-training in the 10 m sprint (1.893 ± 0.08 s pre vs 1.851 ± 0.06 s post) (ES = −0.44) (P = <0.05). Small but not statistically significant differences between groups were observed for 10 m and 20 m sprint performance, and no significant differences were observed within or between groups for 505 time. These findings highlight the difficulty in substantially enhancing speed and COD ability in highly trained athletic populations through the addition of a low volume, short duration plyometric training protocol.

Despite their increasing prevalence epidemiological data on thoracic spine injuries(TSI) is under-presented in the literature. Furthermore, these studies fail to correlatemechanisms of injury to the specific spinal regions injured. Team ball sports appear tobe common activities undertaken in these age groups. A narrative review wasconducted to understand the aetiology of traumatic TSI, with a focus on sporting causes in youth populations. A literature search was conducted through various databases (from inception to April 2024) such as PubMed, CINAHL, Medline, ProQuest Central, Science Direct and SPORTDiscus. Seven studies, including 1670 patients were included in the dataset. TSI, particularly fractures, were found to be more common in adolescent age groups. Common sporting causes of spinal trauma included equestrian and team ball/contact sports. This review found few studies failed to correlate the mechanism of injury and the specific spinal level affected, supporting the need for further research.

Electronic sports (esports) and research on this emerging field are interdisciplinary in nature. By extension, it is essential to understand how to standardize and structure training with the help of existing tools developed by years of research in sports sciences and informatics. Our goal in this article was to verify if the current body of research contains substantial evidence of the training systems applied to training esports players. To verify the existing sources, we have applied a framework of scoping review to address the search from multiple scientific databases with further local processing. We conclude that the current research on esports dealt mainly with describing and modeling performance metrics spanned over multiple fragmented research areas (psychology, nutrition, informatics), and yet these building blocks were not assembled into an existing well-functioning theory of performance in esports by providing exercise regimes, and ways of periodization for esports.

Lucid dreaming is a dream in which one is aware that they are dreaming while dreaming as well as being able to influence the dream. It is utilized in scientific research to explore dreaming, in clinical context to treat nightmares, and in private settings to have fun, solve problems, and to train various skills. In this paper, based on an interview with a lucid dreamer, a fascinating, yet hardly described way to use lucid dreaming in sports and martial arts is presented. The dreamer used his lucid dreams to explore new movements and new possibilities in martial arts. For the interview, the guide from Schädlich and Erlacher [1] was used. The interviewee’s lucid dream experience is compared to interviews of other lucid dreamers and their experience and to contemporary research on lucid dreams. While the potential of lucid dreaming is explored, the interviewee also mentions the possible shortcomings of lucid dreaming.

To create normative scores for all CrossFit® Open (CFO) workouts and compare male and female performances, official scores were collected from the official competition leaderboard for all competitors of the 2011-2022 CFO competitions. Percentiles were calculated in athletes (18 – 54 years) who completed all workouts within a single year ‘as prescribed’ and met minimum scoring thresholds. Independent t-tests revealed significant (p &lt; 0.05) sex differences for 56 of 60 workouts. In workouts scored by repetitions completed, men completed more repetitions in 18 workouts by small-to-large differences (d = 0.22-0.81), whereas women completed more repetitions in 6 workouts by small-to-medium differences (d = 0.36-0.77). When workouts were scored by time-to-completion, men were faster in 10 workouts by small-to-large differences (d = 0.23-1.12), while women were faster in three workouts by small differences (d = 0.46). In three workouts scored by load lifted, men lifted more weight by large differences (d = 2.00-2.98). All other differences were either trivial or not significant. Despite adjusted programming for men and women, the persistence of performances differences across all CFO workouts suggest resultant challenges are not the same. These normative values may be useful to training and research in male and female CrossFit® athletes.

Regular physical activity is a very important factor in the healthy development of an individual and an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. However, today's population still suffers from insufficient amount of exercise caused mainly by technical progress and often inappropriate conditions for practicing sports. In relation to this, we are grappling with a steady increase in obesity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, conditions for regular physical activity became even more unfavourable, with the declaration of a state of emergency and anti-pandemic measures leading to the closure of sports grounds and sporting competitions. In our research survey, we attempted to determine whether there would be changes in physical activity and BMI before and after the situation caused by the COVID-19 disease in upper primary school pupils in the Czech Republic. Using a questionnaire survey of a sample of children (n =1456), we found that already before the pandemic, 69% of the observed sample had not met the recommended amount of physical activity and only 67% of the sample was of normal weight. After the end of the anti-pandemic measures, the observed values deteriorated even more. There was a significant decrease in children with normal weight (by 7.5%) and an increase in children with Class 1 obesity. At the same time, we saw a significant decrease in children doing sports.

PcALCL mainly concerns elderly patients. It is a large CD30+ T-cell neoplasm composed of large cells with anaplastic, pleomorphic or immunoblastic morphology, with exclusively cutaneous onset and localization. The clinical course of pcALCL is predominantly indolent. Most elderly patients with lymphoma tend to have a sedentary lifestyle, which has a negative effect on their quality of life (QoL) and on their survival. Several studies indicate that exercise has a positive impact on QoL because it reduces peak oxygen consumption, improves physical capacity, increases self-esteem, reduces accumulated stress and promotes relaxation. Therefore, particularly in indolent lymphomas, it is necessary to indicate a program of physical activity to be practiced systematically. The complete surgical excision and local radiotherapy are the first line gold standard in pcALCL with solitary lesion.

Bowlby’s (1969/1982) attachment theory has been employed as a broad and integrative framework to explore human wellness across a range of disciplines. Attachment theory has even been labelled one of the last surviving “grand theories” not to have been completely dismissed, replaced, or extensively reworked (e.g., Carr, 2012; Mercer, 2011). However, despite the ubiquitous nature of some of the theory’s fundamental tenets, there are always possibilities for new conceptual development, extension, and revision. In this paper, we critically explore the idea of “context-specific” attachment within parent-child relationships. We briefly outline critical assumptions and key areas of attachment and articulate potential rationale, conceptualisation, and relevance of contextual attachment.

There is lacking information about the physiological response when conducting training of older men in a real-life setting. Seventy-six sedentary men aged 72.3 ± 0.6 (means ± SE; range: 63–92) years with a height, body mass and body mass index of 178.9 ± 0.8 cm; 92.1 ± 2.2 kg: 28.7 ± 0.6 kg/m2, respectively, were recruited to floorball (FG, n = 29), strength (SG, n = 38) or bowls (BG, n = 9) training 1 h twice a week in municipal activity centers and senior sport clubs. Subjects were tested at baseline, after 12 and 24 weeks. Twelve weeks of floorball and strength training lead to reduced blood Hb1Ac, body mass, fat mass, visceral and android fat. Further, SG had a decrease in gynoid fat and blood total and LDL cholesterol. Both groups decreased heart rate at rest. In SG, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were also reduced. FG increased markers for bone growth. FG and SG improved functional capacity. The improvements in FG and SG were maintained after 24 weeks. BG did not have any changes. In conclusion, older men conducting floorball or strength training twice a week in a real-life setting can improve functional capacity and a high number of health factors, whereas playing bowls does not lead to physiological changes.

Abstract: Understanding the reliability and sensitivity of jump testing is essential to determine the neuromuscular progress of athletes and make informed decisions. This study aimed to assess the reliability and sensitivity of countermovement jump (CMJ) and drop jump (DJ) tests metrics in female volleyball players. Sixteen semi-professional female volleyball players participated in the study. Intrasession and intersession reliability of CMJ and DJ metrics were evaluated using a randomized cross-over design. Dual force platform was used to collect data, and several dependent variables were calculated using forward dynamics. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), coefficients of variation (CV) and minimum difference (MD) were calculated. The third attempt presented the highest values for both test, and changes in jump strategy in DJ. CMJ is consistent across sessions, while DJ also shows intersession differences (p<0.05) in 11 out of 15 variables. Most CMJ variables exhibit excellent reliability while DJ variables have lower reliability and higher variability. Concentric and eccentric impulses for DJ showed excellent reliability. Most CMJ variables showed excellent reliability and variability, DJ had lower reliability, higher variability, and lower sensitivity. These findings provide valuable information when assessing athletes' performance and highlight the reliability, sensitivity, and variability in jump performance for CMJ and DJ tests.

This study was conducted to investigate bit use in equestrian sports, focusing on welfare and performance as bit use has been subject of debate. The multi-faceted study combines a literature review, survey, and video analyses. Research on physiological and behavioral effects of bit use, discussing concerns and benefits, was evaluated. The survey involved 250 equestrians, gathering data on experiences, opinions, and practices regarding bit usage. Results demonstrate that different bits are used during competitions and that riders prioritize factors like horse satisfaction, consistent connection, and chewing behavior when riding at home, while show use focusses on factors like control. Video analyses showed high conformity between veterinary expert and show jumper, indicating reliability and validity. Pelham and loose ring bits were most used, while 3-ring and full cheek bits were associated with the most aversive movements, particularly opening of the mouth. Other defense movements included putting ears back, tail swishing, and head tilting. The study highlighted the need for understanding bit preferences in various settings and cautioned against generalizing bit usage based solely on show observations. It also emphasized the potential for developing new designs that prioritize horse comfort and responsiveness, to enhance communication and partnership between horses and riders.

Sport has the potential to support psychosocial development in young people. However, extant studies have tended to evaluate purpose-built interventions, leaving regular organised sport relatively overlooked. Moreover, previous work has tended to concentrated on a narrow range of outcomes. To address these gaps, we conducted a season-long ethnography of a youth performance sport club based on a novel Realist Evaluation approach [1]. We construed the club as a social intervention within a complex system of agents and structures. In this - Part 1 - account we detail the perceptions of former and current club parents, players and coaches, using them to build a set of programme theories. The resulting network of outcomes (i.e. self, emotional, social, moral and cognitive) and generative mechanisms (i.e., the attention factory, the greenhouse for growth, the personal boost, and the real-life simulator) spanning across multiple contextual layers provides a nuanced understanding of stakeholders’ views and experiences. This textured perspective of the multi-faceted process of development provides new insights for administrators, coaches and parents to maximise the developmental properties of youth sport, and signposts new avenues for research in this area.

Adolescents’ daily life has dramatically changed during the COVID-19 era due to the social restrictions that have been imposed, including closures of schools, leisure centers and sport facilities. The purpose of this study was to examine levels of well-being and mood and their relations with physical (in)-activity and eating behaviors in adolescents during a lockdown period in Greece. A total of 950 adolescents (Mean Age = 14.41years ± 1.63) participated in a web-based survey while education was online and organized sport activities were interrupted. Participants showed poor well-being, insufficient physical activity levels and moderate scores of healthy eating behavior. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that, after controlling for the effect of gender and body mass index, increased physical activity and healthier eating behavior predicted better well-being, whereas sedentariness predicted worse well-being. Furthermore, it was revealed that days of physical activity per week was a stronger predictor of well-being than minutes of physical activity per week, and that both in-house and out-of-house physical activity were beneficial. Considering that well-being was below the threshold recommended by the WHO as indicative of possible depressive symptoms, measures to increase physical activity and improve eating behavior should become a priority for communities and policy makers.

Objective: The stability of the flight phase in ski jumping is crucial for athletes' performance and safety. This study aims to investigate the influence of unfavorable conditions on aerodynamic characteristics and flight stability through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) numerical simulations. Methods: The ski jumper and the skis are considered as a multi-body system. A detailed three-dimensional (3D) model of this multi-body system under a commonly observed posture during flight is established. The partially averaged Navier-Stokes (PANS) turbulence model is employed, and CFD simulations are conducted to predict the aerodynamic characteristics of the multi-body system under lateral environmental wind and asymmetric postures during flight phase. The conditions of asymmetric postures include yaw rotation and roll rotation. Results: (1) Lateral environmental wind generated yaw force, yaw moment, and roll moment, which influenced the lift, drag, and pitch moment of the athlete. These forces and moments were relatively small at lower wind speeds (less than 3 m/s) and became more significant at higher wind speeds (greater than 4.5 m/s). (2) Under the influence of yaw rotation or roll rotation, the multi-body system exhibited noticeable yaw force, yaw moment, and roll moment, all showing a monotonic increasing trend. Moreover, they had a significant impact on the lift, drag, and pitch moment of the multi-body system. Conclusion: (1) The influence of unfavorable conditions is complex, resulting in significant yaw force, yaw moment, and roll moment on the multi-body system. The adverse effects of roll rotation were generally greater than those of yaw rotation. (2) The multi-body system exhibited self-stabilizing tendencies in yaw and roll. This phenomenon can provide a solution to maintain flight stability by employing appropriate yaw or (and) roll rotation angles, effectively compensating for or even eliminating the adverse effects of lateral environmental wind. (3) Understanding the mechanisms of how unfavorable conditions affect the aerodynamic characteristics and stability during flight in ski jumping can provide valuable assistance for real-time prediction and decision-making during competitions, as well as scientific guidance for training athletes stable flight control and techniques and improving their sport performance.

Elbow dislocation and instability present significant clinical challenges, necessitating a thorough understanding of the underlying bio-mechanical mechanisms. In this study, a quasi-static three-dimensional finite element model of the human elbow joint is developed to investigate stress distribution and stages of dislocation in the human elbow under various loading conditions. The model simulates the elbow joint in different degrees of flexion (30°, 45°, 60°, and 90°) and forearm positions (pronation and supination), providing detailed insights into the progression of dislocation. Significant findings include the identification of high stress concentrations on the humerus at 90° flexion and on the radial and coronoid processes at 30°, 45°, and 60° flexion. Three reproducible stages of dislocation were observed, particularly in flexed positions with forearm pronation or supination. These stages align with experimental observations and highlight the initial occurrence of bony failures, such as radial head and ulnar coronoid fractures, preceding soft tissue tears. Clinically, the study underscores that early-stage low-impact posterior elbow dislocations retain enough stability to be managed with closed reduction and early mobilization. However, as dislocations progress, significant damage to the medial and lateral collateral ligaments is expected, necessitating more invasive treatments. This research provides valuable bio-mechanical insights into elbow dislocation, aiding in the development of improved treatment strategies and enhancing patient outcomes through precise and timely clinical interventions. The validated FEM serves as a powerful tool for pre-surgical planning offering a comprehensive understanding of elbow joint mechanics.

The continuously developing project aims to build an informatics system enabling analysis of spatial and temporal parameters of movement activities occurring in the sport of speed climbing. The monitoring system (climbing information speed system – CISS) is to be used for conducting comprehensive scientific research in the field of speed climbing. The system enables the evaluation of the training process of climbers at various levels of competition. The study analysis was based on video. The video recording with a camera positioned at a short distance (10 m) from the wall. The marker was positioned closest to the centre of mass (gravity) BMC. Results: development of a system for data collection and analysis of the climbing run based on video recording (application of the Kanade-Lucas-Tomasi (KLT) algorithm). Our results showed that used devices can measure a wide range of specific internal and external variables during speed climbing. Some of the analyzed parameters were significantly correlated with speed climbing time. These results could be a theoretical basis for future research and for training program’s preparation.

This paper presents a study on the idle vibration reduction of a diesel sport utility vehicle (SUV). To reduce idle vibration, the transmission paths of vibration from the engine to the driver seat floor were investigated with the vehicle components related to idle vibration. Furthermore, operational deflection shape (ODS) tests were conducted to visualize the vibration shapes during engine idling. Experimental modal analyses were performed to obtain the natural frequencies and mode shapes. Through the ODS and modal tests, the vibration characteristics of the diesel SUV during idling were identified. Considering these vibration characteristics, a multi-body dynamic model for the diesel SUV described by differential equations of motion was established to evaluate the idle vibration. To implement the dynamic model effectively, the equivalent stiffnesses and damping coefficients included in the model were determined experimentally or analytically. The established dynamic model was verified by comparing the natural frequencies and idle vibration levels between simulations. Using this dynamic model, we analyzed the effects of various design variables on idle vibration and obtained an optimal design for reducing the idle vibration level. Finally, we present a design guide to reduce the idle vibration for diesel SUVs.

This study compares lifestyles behaviour in Italian and Latvian university students, to assess if there are differences for sex, age, university or studies specialties. An online questionnaire investigating 8 lifestyle dimensions has been compiled by 156 (43,6 % females) from Italy and 105 from Latvia (82,9% females). Answers were collected between April and December 2020. Presence of smokers are negligible. The questionnaire showed to have a good internal consistency (Cronbach α =.929). On the total group, significant statistically differences were found for all the dimensions regarding age, sex, study specialty and university. Physical activity was associated with healthier lifestyles choices. Geographical-induced differences were found (eating and sleep behaviours, alcohol awareness) as well as socio-economic differences. Female students shown to be more stressed than males. Occupational wellness increased by age. Sport students shown more health awareness. Many of the differences found in the total group disappeared when comparing only sport students of the two university, showing females increasing their scores. This result can be explained by a masculinization effect of sport.

This study compares lifestyles behaviour in Italian and Latvian university students, to assess if there are differences for sex, age, university or studies specialties. An online questionnaire investigating 8 lifestyle dimensions has been compiled by 156 (43,6 % females) from Italy and 105 from Latvia (82,9% females). Answers were collected between April and December 2020. Presence of smokers are negligible. The questionnaire showed to have a good internal consistency (Cronbach α =.929). On the total group, significant statistically differences were found for all the dimensions regarding age, sex, study specialty and university. Physical activity was associated with healthier lifestyles choices. Geographical-induced differences were found (eating and sleep behaviours, alcohol awareness) as well as socio-economic differences. Female students shown to be more stressed than males. Occupational wellness increased by age. Sport students shown more health awareness. Many of the differences found in the total group disappeared when comparing only sport students of the two university, showing females increasing their scores. This result can be explained by a masculinization effect of sport.

Safely resuming sporting events while the coronavirus is spreading is challenging – yet possible – if the science is taken into account. Two main ways the coronavirus can spread among football players is through air-suspended microdroplets (and possibly aerosols), and via contact with contaminated surfaces. Here we estimated virus survival in dried saliva droplets on a football pitch (i.e., on the grass) and on the ball itself, and compared these measures between mid-day and nighttime matches. We find, based on experiments with the enveloped phage Phi6 – a surrogate for SARS-Cov-2 – that while the virus survives reasonably well on both pitch and ball during a nighttime match (~10% survival), virtually no viruses survived the 90-minute duration of a mid-day match on a hot, sunny day. These results, taken together with studies reporting rapid deactivation of coronavirus in aerosols by sunlight, suggest that playing football in mid-day reduces the likelihood of transmission between players, and thus increases players’ safety.

Judo is a popular Japanese martial art and an Olympic sport. Recently, an increasing interest has been observed in the application of judo as a multicomponent exercise, with a growing body of evidence showing that multicomponent exercise improves physical and cognitive performance in older adults. Therefore, this review highlights the benefits of judo training in preventing physical and cognitive decline in older adults. Specifically, first, this review outlines the basic characteristics of judo (philosophy, match, and training). Next, previous studies investigating the effects of judo training on physical and cognitive aspects of older adults are reviewed. Thereafter, the brain mechanisms underlying the effects of judo training in improving physical and cognitive performance are discussed. Throughout this review, judo training demonstrated some positive effects on physical (gait and balance, among others) and cognitive (memory and executive function) function in older adults. These positive effects are attributed to a variety of changes in the brain (e.g., increased neurotrophic factor expression and increased cerebral blood flow, among others), that affect different brain regions and networks both functionally and structurally. From these findings, this review concludes that judo training can be an effective way to maintain and prevent physical and cognitive decline in older adults.

The aim of this article has been to evaluate the impact of a physical-sport education programme, based on the pedagogical model of Sport Education within the framework of quality Physical Education and approached from the field of social and emotional learning, on a set of psychological variables: subjective well-being (quality of life related to health, positive affect and negative affect); trait emotional intelligence and social anxiety. A total number of 113 Compulsory Secondary Education students were involved, aged 12 to 15 years old, 44 of whom belonged to the control group (CG) and 69 to the experimental group (EG). A quasiexperimental design of repeated pretest and posttest measures with the CG was used. The results obtained in this investigation revealed that the intervention programme caused significant improvements in the subjective well-being and the trait emotional intelligence for the EG. These findings reinforce the pedagogical efficiency of the programme with regards to the aim that has been set. Likewise, the findings also highlight the suitability and appropriateness in terms of innovative teaching proposals. In the same way, the results showed relevant empirical contributions in this given school context due to its psychological benefits and the encouragement of healthy living.