Given the financial demands of attending college, the transition to new living situations, abrupt changes in social support, and overall lifestyle adjustments, college students are at an increased risk of food insecurity (FI) compared to the general population. Collegiate athletes experience an even greater risk of FI as a result of greater time commitments and energy demands associated with their sports. This heightened vulnerability poses a tremendous threat to student-athletes’ academic and athletic achievements. This study aims to address the prevalence and primary determinants of FI among collegiate athletes while providing potential solutions to navigate and alleviate the effects of diminished food security among this demographic. To address these aims, a total of 18 articles were selected from both peer-reviewed and gray literature. The U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module (US-HFSSM) survey tools were predominantly utilized across universities throughout the United States to gather data on FI. Student-athletes reported experiencing FI across various regions of the United States, including universities in northeastern states (n=5), the southwest region (n=3), the southeast region (n=3), the northwest (n=1), and the Midwest (n=1). Overall, FI prevalence rates ranged from 9.9% to 65% and the most significant contributors included limited financial resources, time management, meal plans, and housing location/amenities. These findings highlight a need for screening, education, and intervention to address FI among collegiate athletes.

Coaches are the main people who have an impact on the mental and psychological performance of athletes as well as their physical performance. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of perceived coaching behaviors on the anger and aggression levels of male athletes. This study was conducted with 748 male athletes with an active license who are over 18 years of age and participate in individual and team sports branches. In this study, the "Coaching Behavior Assessment Ques-tionnaire" and the “Competitive Aggressiveness and Anger Scale" were used as data collection tools. The study results showed that athletes’ levels of evaluation of the coaching behaviors were high, while the levels of aggressiveness and anger in sports were low. It was determined that there is a negative low-level relationship between the athletes’ evaluation levels of the coaching be-haviors and the aggressiveness and anger levels in sports and that the coach’s behaviors predict the anger and aggressiveness levels of the athletes by 9% and 6%, respectively. The results of this study show that the attitudes and behaviors of coaches can affect the emotional states of male athletes and have the potential to increase or decrease their anger and aggressiveness levels. Coaches who exhibit positive, supportive, and modeling behaviors help create a healthy sports environment and help male athletes maintain emotional balance.

Background: the present study aimed to examine the effect of rehydration with mineral water on cardiorespiratory fitness in athletes. Methods: Twenty athletes (21.7±3 years) were ran-domly underwent a crossover design experimental trail. Three visits were arranged. The first visit was for baseline measurement. The second visit included three phases (pre-dehydration, post-dehydration, and post-rehydration), and either Zamzam (mineral water) or bottle water (control water) was used. The third visit was similar to the second visit with exchange the type of water. Cardiorespiratory fitness and blood parameters have been evaluated. Data were an-alyzed to compare results of Zamzam water with bottle water and to compare between the phases for each type of water. Results: although there was no significant difference found be-tween Zamzam and bottle water in the cardiorespiratory fitness markers, Zamzam water maintained cardiorespiratory function including VO2peak, VT1, VT2, and VEpeak even with re-hydration equal to 100% of losing body mass following exercise-induced dehydration (>-2% body mass), where rehydration with bottle water reported significant reduction in both VO2peak and VEpeak. Conclusion: rehydration with mineral water such as Zamzam water may not impair cardiorespiratory fitness even with amount equal to 100% of losing body mass.

Effective teamwork is essential to the success of sport and athletic organizations. Interprofessional Collaboration (IPC) and team-based care has also been identified as a priority for health and social care organizations.(World Health Organization, 2010) The Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Core Competencies of (1) Values and Ethics; (2) Roles and Responsibilities; (3) Communication; and (4) Teams and Teamwork provide a guiding framework for IPC. (Interprofessional Education Collaborative, 2023). Student-athlete well-being is a key objective for individuals working with or for university athletic departments, with high levels of well-being being correlated with sport, academic, and personal improvements (Navarro et al., 2020). Due to the multifaceted factors that influence student-athlete well-being (e.g., cultural factors, coaches, academic pressure, family stress, etc.), there is an increasing need for an interdisciplinary/interprofessional approach to well-being (Lemelin et al., 2022, Navarro et al., 2020; Ulrich et al., 2022) However, significant barriers exist in implementing IPC into university athletic departments and little research exists on how to overcome roadblocks to integrating IPC in university athletic departments for enhancing student-athlete wellness. This paper will describe how a university athletic department used a team approach to enhance student-athlete health and well-being. The Interprofessional Wellness Team (IWT) included a clinical sport psychology doctoral student, a licensed mental health professional, athletic trainer, and sport dietitian. A case vignette is used to demonstrate how IPEC core competencies are operationalized by the team to address athlete health and well-being through IPC. Recommendations on the further implementation of IPC centered around student-athlete well-being will be provided.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an Athletic Performance Program, performed in addition to teams’ regular training routines, on match performance variables in professional football players. Twenty-nine professional football players (age=27.21±4.95 years; body mass=79.56±5.21 kg) of the Spanish First Division (LaLiga) underwent a 10-week training program focused on the development of mobility, stability, strength, and multidirectional running skills. The APP included 5 indoor sessions per week and on-field micro-dosing stimulus in addition to regular training practices. Match performance variables obtained with GPS devices during official matches and jump performance were measured before and after the APP. The APP increased peak running speed (31.1±1.4 vs 32.1±1.0 km/h, P < 0.001, d=1.88), the number of sprints (0.14±0.03 vs 0.16±0.03 sprint/min, P< 0.001, d=1.44) and the sprint distance (6.45±1.43 vs 8.35±1.22 m/min P< 0.001, d=2.49) during the matches. The intervention also increased countermovement jump height (34.1±2.7vs 35.8±2.5 cm, P< 0.001, d=2.20). The APP was effective to improve intense actions during competitive match play in professional football players. Strength and conditioning coaches may consider the use of multicomponent physical training programs included in the usual training week to enhance players’ match running at high intensity.

One of the most common nutritional problems in athletes is iron deficiency. Although a lot of research has been done, the problem is still not solved. It is believed that iron deficiency is basically a lack of iron intake due to low dietary intake. Therefore, athletes who are found to be iron deficient are required to increase their iron intake (supplementation or intravenous administration). However, there are many supplements available on the market today, and if the problem is simply a lack of iron intake, it is a nutritional problem that should have been solved. In other words, there are reasons why the problem cannot be solved by simply taking iron, and it is important to conduct further research on the relationship between iron status and physical activity in the future. 　In this paper, we summarize our recent research, focusing on the studies we have done so far.

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.

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.

This single-blind and cross-sectional study evaluated the role of Rho-kinase (ROCK) as a biomarker of the cardiovascular remodelling process assessed by echocardiography in competitive long-distance runners (LDR) during the training period before a marathon race. Thirty-six healthy male LDR (37.0±5.3 years; 174.0±7.0 height; BMI: 23.8±2.8; VO2-peak: 56.5±7.3 mL·kg-1·min-1) were separated into two groups according to previous training level: high-training (HT, n=16) ≥100 km·week-1 and low-training (LT, n=20) ≥70 and &lt;100 km·week-1. Also, twenty-one healthy nonactive subjects were included as a control group (CTR). A transthoracic echocardiography was performed and ROCK activity levels in circulating leukocytes were measured at rest (48-hr without exercising) the week before the race. HT group showed higher left ventricular mass index (LVMi) and left atrial volume index (LAVi) than other groups (p&lt;0.05, for both), also higher levels of ROCK activity were found in LDR (HT=6.17±1.41 vs CTR=1.64±0.66 (p&lt;0.01); vs LT=2.74±0.84; (p&lt;0.05)). In LDR a direct correlation between ROCK activity levels and LVMi (r=0.83; p&lt;0.001), and LAVi (r=0.70; p&lt;0.001) were found. In conclusion, in male competitive long-distance runners, the load of exercise implicated in marathon training is associated with ROCK activity levels and the left cardiac remodelling process assessed by echocardiography.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has prohibited gene doping in the context of progress in gene therapy. In addition, there is a risk of the EPO gene being applied in gene doping among athletes. Along with this, development of a gene-doping test has been underway in worldwide. Here, we had two purposes: to develop a robust gene doping mouse model using the human EPO gene (hEPO) transferred using recombinant adenovirus (rAdV) as a vector and to develop a detection method to prove gene doping using this model. The rAdV including the hEPO gene were injected intravenously to transfer the gene to the liver. After injection, the mice developed significantly increased red blood cell counts in whole blood and increased gene expressions of hematopoietic markers in the spleen, indicating successful development of the gene doping model. Next, we detected direct and indirect proof of gene doping in whole blood DNA and RNA using qPCR assay and RNA sequencing. Proof was detected in one drop of whole blood DNA and RNA over a long period; furthermore, the overall RNA expression profiles significantly changed. Therefore, we have advanced detection of hEPO gene doping in humans.

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.

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.

Several performance-enhancing or ergogenic drugs have been linked to both significant adverse cardiovascular effects and increased cardiovascular risk. Even with increased scrutiny on the governance of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) in professional sport and heightened awareness of the associated cardiovascular risk, there are some who are prepared to risk their use to gain competitive advantage. Caffeine is the most commonly consumed drug in the world and its ergogenic properties have been reported for decades. Thus, the removal of caffeine from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) list of banned substances, in 2004, has naturally led to an exponential rise in its use amongst athletes. The response to caffeine is complex and influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Whilst the evidence may be equivocal, the ability of an athlete to train longer or at a greater power output cannot be overlooked. Furthermore, its impact on the myocardium remains unanswered. In contrast, anabolic steroids are recognised PEDs that improve athletic performance, increase muscle growth and suppress fatigue. Their use, however, comes at a cost, afflicting the individual with several side effects, including those that are detrimental to the cardiovascular system. This review addresses the effects of the two commonest PEDs, one legal, the other prohibited, and their respective effects on the heart, as well as the long-term implications.

Abstract: This study examines the legal implications of implementing wearable technology in professional sports, focusing on European football leagues. As the adoption of wearable devices in sports continues to grow, it raises significant legal concerns regarding privacy, data protection, and athlete rights. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative analysis of legal frameworks and quantitative survey data from 150 professional footballers across top European leagues. Key findings reveal that 78% of surveyed athletes express concerns about the potential misuse of their biometric data collected through wearable devices (p < 0.001). The study identifies three primary legal challenges: (1) data ownership and control, (2) informed consent and voluntary participation, and (3) potential discrimination based on biometric data in contract negotiations. A comparative analysis of regulatory approaches in different European countries shows significant variations, with only 40% having specific legislation addressing wearable technology in sports.The research also explores the intersection of wearable technology with existing sports law, including doping regulations and fair play principles. A chi-square test indicates a significant association between athletes' awareness of legal rights and their willingness to use wearable technology (χ2 = 15.7, p < 0.01).This study contributes to the growing body of literature on sports law and technology by providing empirical evidence and legal analysis specific to the European football context. The findings have important implications for policymakers, sport’s governing bodies, and athletes' unions in developing comprehensive frameworks to address the legal challenges posed by wearable technology in professional sports.

This systematic review assessed the prevalence of lower back pain (LBP) in equestrian athletes (EA), using PRISMA guidelines. Observational studies published between 2004 and 2024 in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and German were included. The review identified relevant studies through EBSCO, MEDLINE, and SCOPUS (last search 30 August 2024), yielding 14 studies with a total of 4,527 participants. PEO of included studies: population comprised EA, exposure was equestrian sports (ES), and the outcome was LBP. The risk of bias was evaluated using the Observation Study Quality Evaluation tool, and six studies were deemed high-quality. LBP prevalence in EA was higher than in the general and athlete population, with point prevalence ranging from 27.9% to 87.9%. Sport-specific factors, including workload and stable duties, were significant risk factors. Methodological inconsistencies, such as varying definitions of LBP and a lack of standardized exposure assessment, and overall low quality of studies, limited the comparability of findings. This review underscores the need for more high-quality research and tailored interventions addressing both riding and off-horse activities in EA. The review was registered in PROSPERO (ID: CRD42024568577), and the study was funded by the Comprehensive Health Research Centre, Évora University.

Athlete’s heart is characterised by structural, functional, and electrical remodelling. During an exercise session, the heart increases the use of oxygen, which is associated with decreased vascular resistance in the lungs’ circulation. Left ventricular hypertrophy is an echocardiographic modification especially met in endurance athlete’s heart. Moreover, left atrial dilatation represents another important characteristic of endurance athletes. Electrical modulation in the athletic heart induces neurological modifications leading to sinus arrhythmia, bradycardia, early repolarisation, and first-grade atrioventricular (AV) blocks. Athletes' nutritional status involves the assimilation of macronutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Depending on the duration of physical exercise, ATP can be obtained in aerobic or anaerobic conditions. This systematic review aims to find correlations between different evaluative methods of cardiac adaptation and present the metabolism in performance athletes.

Endurance triathlons impose substantial physiological stress, yet effects of short-course formats remain relatively unexplored. In this preliminary study, we assessed proteinuria and hydration levels in 27 well-trained triathletes (41.9 [7.4] years) who completed a sprint triathlon consisting of a 1500-m swim, 26-km cycle, and 8-km run. Urine samples were collected before and after the race. The results showed an increase in cases of post-race proteinuria from four to nine (p=0.03). Also, one case of urobilinuria and ketoacidosis was observed after the race. Pre-race glucosuria, which was present in nine cases, decreased to three cases post-race. Although hematuria cases decreased from six to two (p=0.13), pre-race leukocyturia (found in two cases) resolved post-race. There was a significant increase in urine specific gravity (from 1.018 to 1.023, p=0.03), indicating dehydration. In conclusion, short-course triathlons were found to induce post-race proteinuria, urobilinuria, and dehydration without exacerbating pre-race glucosuria, hematuria, or leukocyturia. These preliminary findings contribute to our understanding of medical guidelines for sprint triathlons, an area of endurance sports that has received limited research attention. Further investigation, both mechanistic and longitudinal, is warranted in this regard.

Cervical injuries from athletic activities are rare; they can have severe consequences if not diagnosed and managed promptly. The choice of diagnostic imaging modality is pivotal in ensuring timely and accurate diagnosis. We detail the case of a 19-year-old female athlete who sustained a C2 Durel Type II Subclass C fracture during a short-track speed skating championship. Initial evaluation using X-ray imaging at the athletic center medical facility did not detect the injury, allowing her to continue competing. Persistent pain led to further evaluation at our institution, where MRI and CT scans confirmed the fracture. Approximately 45 days post-injury, the patient underwent a successful surgical intervention utilizing O-arm CBCT navigation for C1-C2 dorsal fusion. Post-surgery, she embarked on a comprehensive rehabilitation program and fully recovered within 12 weeks. This case underscores the limitations of relying solely on X-ray imaging for diagnosing cervical fractures post-trauma. Our findings advocate prioritizing CT scans as a primary diagnostic tool in such scenarios, emphasizing the need for a robust diagnostic approach to ensure athlete safety and well.

Aims: This study aimed at examining coach-athlete violence based on the retrospective reports of adults who had been athletes as children and adolescents; predict variables that contribute to the existence of such violence; describe difficulties that the participants encountered as young athletes following such violence; and reveal the outcomes of such violence on their emotions and behaviors, in the past and present. Methodology: The applied mixed-methods comprised quantitative self-reporting questionnaires and qualitative interviews. The former included 440 participants (mean age 27.6) who had trained for at least one year in a sports union youth department; the latter included 14 participants (aged 23-37). These competitive athletes came from eight branches of sports. The interviews were analyzed based on the Narrative Approach. Results: According to the quantitative study, all participants had experienced coach violence at least once during their career, mainly psychological violence and neglect, followed by physical violence. Sexual violence was least reported. The age of their retirement from sports and the number of coaches that they had had were significant predictors of violence. Thematic analysis of the qualitative interviews resulted in six types of coach-athlete violence: (1) psychological violence; (2) verbal violence; (3) starvation and food fattening; (4) non-proportional punishing; (5) physical violence; and (6) sexual violence. Conclusions: It is vital that coach-athlete violence is addressed in public discourse, that the topic of of young athletes’ safety is introduced into coaching education, and that a position holder is nominated to be in charge of such safety in all sports organizations.

Chronic oxidative stress in long-distance runners adversely affects conditioning. Therefore, it is important to objectively assess and monitor oxidative stress but measuring oxidative stress can be invasive or require skill to measure. Therefore, this study aimed to verify whether skin autofluorescence (SAF), a noninvasive, rapid, and easily calculable metric for calculating advanced glycation end products (AGEs), is useful as an oxidative stress biomarker. The subjects were 50 young Japanese male long-distance runners (aged 20.2 ± 1.2 years); 35 average male university students (aged 19.8 ± 1.1 years) served as controls. The interactions and relationships between SAF and plasma pentosidine and oxidative stress markers (reactive oxygen metabolite-derived compounds [d-ROMs], biological antioxidant potential [BAP], and the BAP/d-ROMs ratio) in runners were examined, and SAF in the runners and controls was compared. The results suggest that plasma pentosidine in runners is associated with oxidative stress markers and that plasma pentosidine can assess oxidative stress. However, SAF was not validated as an oxidative stress marker because it was not associated with oxidative stress marker. In future, clarifying the factors affecting SAF may clarify the relationship between SAF, plasma pentosidine, and oxidative stress markers.

Background/Objectives: This study looks at how a kinematic chain exercise regimen that targets the lower, core, and upper body affects university shot put participants' shoulder muscle strength and throwing efficiency. This study fills an apparent research void on shot put training approaches by presenting a comprehensive kinematic chain workout program. It was anticipated that this method would improve performance the most, considering the complex biomechanical require-ments of the sport. Methodology: Athletes, seventy in age (19.87 ± 1.31 years), were assigned into two groups at random: experimental (n = 35) and control (n = 35). While the control group carried on with their usual training, the experimental group participated in an 8-week kinematic chain training program, pre- and post-training evaluations were carried out to evaluate shot put throwing ability, shoulder muscle strength, and participant satisfaction with the exercise regimen. Results: demonstrated that, when compared to the control group, the athletes in the kinematic chain program had a significantly improved throwing distance (p = 0.01) and shoulder muscle strength (p = 0.01). Furthermore, there was a significant difference (p = 0.005) in the athletes' satisfaction levels with the workout program among those in the experimental group. This implies that a kinematic chain-focused strategy improves performance and emphasizes the significance this type of training is for shot put athlete performance. Conclusion: As an improvement forward in sports science, the study's finding promotes the inclusion of kinematic chain workouts in shot put training programs and calls for more research on kinematic chain-based approaches in a variety of sports.