Background Head acceleration is often used as a proxy measurement for concussion risk. It is unclear what factors contribute to head acceleration during a purposeful header. Objective The objective of this systematic is to identify what factors influence head acceleration during a header and highlight areas that have not been explored. Methods Studies were included if they assessed the effect of an

Background Resistance exercise training is an effective treatment strategy to counteract the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength in older adults. However, there is a large inter-individual variation in muscle fiber hypertrophy following resistance exercise training. It has been hypothesized that a less than optimal muscle fiber capillarization and perfusion capacity may compromise muscle hypertrophy

Background Professional soccer players are advised to consume 3–8 g kg–1 body mass day–1 of carbohydrate (CHO) on the basis of training demands, fixture schedule and personal objectives. However, owing to the lack of randomized controlled trials on elite players, these guidelines largely rely on data interpretation and practitioner experience. Objective To identify the gaps in existing literature that

Field-based sport research involves studies that collect data from athletes and/or teams during competition and/or their daily training environments. Over the last decade, sport-specific field-based research projects have significantly increased in number and complexity, partially owing to the further development of more portable measurement equipment (e.g., indirect calorimetry, desktop blood/gas

Background In response to exercise, protein kinases and signaling networks are engaged to blunt homeostatic threats generated by acute contraction-induced increases in skeletal muscle energy and oxygen demand, as well as serving roles in the adaptive response to chronic exercise training to blunt future disruptions to homeostasis. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a time-efficient exercise

Background Various exercise interventions are recommended to reduce the risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in females. However, the extent to which these training interventions influence lower-limb landing biomechanics in youth female remains unclear. Objective This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to quantitatively summarise the effectiveness of various training interventions

Peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation is the primary procedure used to collect haemopoietic stem cells (HSCs) for transplantation in individuals with haematological malignancies. More than 90,000 HSC transplants take place globally each year, and there is an increasing need to guarantee HSC mobilisation, improve tolerability to apheresis, and optimise immune reconstitution. Currently, mobilisation

Background Using directly measured cardiorespiratory fitness (i.e. VO2max) in epidemiological/population studies is rare due to practicality issues. As such, predicting VO2max is an attractive alternative. Most equations that predict VO2max adopt additive rather than multiplicative models despite evidence that the latter provides superior fits and more biologically interpretable models. Furthermore

Post-exercise recovery strategies influence the body’s ability to restore physiological homeostasis, replenish energy stores, repair muscle damage, and promote desired adaptations, which improve exercise performance. This narrative review examines the impact of nutritional strategies commonly used for enhancing recovery and subsequent exercise performance, particularly when athletes face short recovery

Background Soccer requires players to cover distances around 10–12 km, with numerous consecutive sprints throughout the 90-min game. As such, aerobic fitness and repeated sprint ability (RSA) are crucial physical qualities for the modern soccer player to cope with the demands of the game. However, a comprehensive and systematic search of aerobic fitness and RSA assessment procedures in elite soccer

Background Concerns exist about the prevalence of abuse directed towards sports officials and its impact on their mental health; however, sports officiating can also be a rewarding experience. Objectives The present study aimed to identify the frequency and determinants of both positive (e.g. praise, appreciation, apologies) and negative (e.g. verbal abuse, physical abuse, social media abuse) officiating

It is now well-established that exercise can disturb various aspects of gastrointestinal integrity and function. The pathophysiology of these perturbations, termed “exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome (EIGS),” can lead to exercise-associated gastrointestinal symptom (Ex-GIS) inconveniences. EIGS outcomes can impact physical performance and may lead to clinical manifestation warranting medical

Background Static stretching (SS) is routinely used in sports and clinical settings to increase joint range of motion (ROM). However, the mechanisms underlying improvements in ROM remain unclear. Objective We aimed to determine the effects of a single session (acute) and multiple sessions (chronic) of SS on stretch tolerance, passive stiffness and fascicle length, and whether such effects are moderated

Inadequacies in the conduct and quality of research are well established across many research domains, including sport science and medicine. Metaresearch—the practice of performing research on research—is presented as a practical vehicle for improving research quality through evaluating the research processes. This article introduces the concept of metaresearch to sport as a new sub-field of sport

Background Emerging evidence indicates an elevated risk of post-concussion musculoskeletal injuries in collegiate athletes; however, identifying athletes at highest risk remains to be elucidated. Objective The purpose of this study was to model post-concussion musculoskeletal injury risk in collegiate athletes by integrating a comprehensive set of variables by machine learning. Methods A risk model

Objectives Core temperature (TCORE), skin temperature (TTORSO) and running kinematics were measured across different athlete categories at a World Cup Sprint Triathlon, occurring during a heatwave (~ 25–31 °C Wet Bulb Globe Temperature [WBGT]). Methods Sixty-six triathletes participated: 21 World Cup (7 females), 32 Hong Kong-Elite (HK-Elite; 8 females) and 13 Amateur (6 females). Results Seventeen

Background Sport-related concussion (SRC) in rugby union is common and carries a high injury burden, especially among children. Computed tomography (CT) imaging is commonly used to assess rugby-related head injuries, including SRC, subjecting children to ionising radiation. In addition, there is concern about the relationship between SRC, repetitive head impacts and neurodegeneration. Objective To

Background Large interindividual differences can exist in the timing and tempo of growth and maturation of youth athletes. This can provide significant physical performance advantages to young athletes who mature in advance of their peers. Objective The aim of this systematic review was to determine the magnitude of differences in sprinting and jumping performance in youth of different maturity status

Background Delayed-onset muscle soreness commonly arises from intense and unaccustomed physical exercise, leading to reduced muscle strength, increased pain and inflammation. A number of systematic reviews evaluating physiotherapeutic treatments for delayed-onset muscle soreness have been published since the 1990s. However, these systematic reviews frequently yield conflicting findings, further impeding

Traditional risk management approaches focus on the prevention of negative short-term physical outcomes, such as injury. While the relationship between risk and harm has been useful for reducing workplace and transport injuries, it is inappropriate in movement contexts such as sport, leisure and education, where engagement with risk can be an important contributor to healthy human development and flourishing

The purpose of this narrative review is to provide an evidence-based update on the protein needs of endurance athletes with a focus on high-quality metabolic studies conducted on the topics of recovery and training adaptation over the past decade. We use the term ‘protein needs’ to delineate between the concepts of a daily protein requirement and per meal protein recommendations when devising scientific

Background Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are highly prevalent in team sport athletes and often occur while performing change-of-direction (COD) tasks in combination with high cognitive demands, such as decision making or divided attention. Given the expanding body of research in this field, an updated literature review is warranted, as the most recent meta-analysis on this topic included

Background An increasing number of female athletes are navigating an athletic career alongside pregnancy. Limited qualitative research has investigated the experiences of elite athletes in the United Kingdom (UK). This study aimed to explore the experiences of elite athletes in the UK as they navigated pregnancy, employing a socio-ecological framework to inform future research and policy recommendations

Background Dietary nitrate (NO3−) supplementation is purported to benefit exercise performance. However, previous studies have evaluated this nutritional strategy with various performance outcomes, exercise tasks, and dosing regimens, often yielding inconsistent results that limit the generalizability of the findings. Objective We aimed to synthesize the available evidence regarding the effect of NO3−

The increased growth, popularity, and media interest in women’s sport has led to calls for greater prioritisation of female-specific research and innovation. In response, science and medicine researchers have increased the volume of sport-related studies investigating female-specific matters, such as the menstrual cycle. Whilst the accelerated rate of published studies with female participants is welcome

Background Numerous studies have explored the impact of controlled exercise interventions in type 2 diabetes, as physical activity can positively influence its progression. However, our understanding of how broader lifestyle interventions can effectively promote physical activity in practical real-world scenarios remains limited. Objective This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate

There is a growing body of research supporting the acute and chronic benefits of supervision during strength training. However, to date, there has been a lack of clarity within the terminology used, as well as when considering the differences between supervision and facilitation, and connections between supervision, feedback and attentional focus. Multiple articles have identified a lack of transparency

Background Dry needling is an increasingly popular technique used in sports and regenerative medicine contexts. However, there is no comprehensive overview of investigations of dry needling in sports and sport recovery. Objectives The objectives were to perform a systematic review of dry needling in sports athletes with an evidence gap map, to identify current gaps in the literature, and to provide

Background Supersets are a time-efficient resistance training (RT) method that involve the sequencing of two exercises with little or no rest between them. However, despite their common implementation during RT, a comprehensive and quantitative review is still lacking. Objectives The primary aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to compare the acute and chronic effects of superset and

Wearable technologies open up new avenues for the assessment of individual physical activity behaviour. Particularly, free-living heart rate (HR) data assessed by optical sensors are becoming widely available. However, while an abundancy of scientific information and guidance exists for the processing of raw acceleration data, no universal recommendations for the utilization of continuous HR recordings

Background Endurance athletes tend to accumulate large training volumes, the majority of which are performed at a low intensity and a smaller portion at moderate and high intensity. However, different training intensity distributions (TID) are employed to maximize physiological and performance adaptations. Objective The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Background Diastasis recti abdominis (DRA), commonly occurring in postpartum women, is not only an aesthetic issue but is also highly associated with functional impairments. Various conservative treatment modalities have been employed in clinical practice to alleviate DRA. However, the comparative efficacy of these non-surgical treatments for improving the inter-recti distance (IRD) remains to be determined

Background Post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) has demonstrated efficacy in acutely improving athletic performance. However, its distinction from general warm-up (GW) effects remains ambiguous, and experimental designs adopted in most PAPE studies exhibit important limitations. Objectives The aims of this work are to (i) examine the effects of research methodology on PAPE outcomes, (ii)

Following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, quadriceps muscle atrophy persists despite rehabilitation, leading to loss of lower limb strength, osteoarthritis, poor knee joint health and reduced quality of life. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for these deficits in hypertrophic adaptations within the quadriceps muscle following ACL injury and reconstruction are poorly understood

Background Swimming performance depends on a wide variety of factors; however, the interaction between these factors and their importance varies between events. In sprint events, the characterized pacing underlines its specific development, as swimmers must achieve the highest possible speed while sustaining it to the greatest extent possible. Objectives The aim of this review was to identify the key

Background Persisting post-concussion symptoms (PPCS) is a condition characterized by prolonged recovery from a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and compromised quality of life. Previous literature, on the basis of small sample sizes, concludes that there are several risk factors for the development of PPCS. Objective We seek to identify protective and risk factors for developing slow recovery or

Background Mental wellbeing, one continuum alongside mental illness in a dual-continua mental health model, has attracted less attention compared with substantial studies concerning mental illness amongst elite athletes. Notably, the promotion and protection of mental wellbeing contribute to not only a positive status of flourishing but also a reduction in the future risk of mental illness, which can

Background Identification of genetic alleles associated with both Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and concussion severity/recovery could help explain the association between concussion and elevated dementia risk. However, there has been little investigation into whether AD risk genes associate with concussion severity/recovery, and the limited findings are mixed. Objective We used AD polygenic risk scores

The scientific literature on talent identification is extensive, with significant advancements made over the past 30 years. However, as with any field, the translation of research into practice and its impact on the field have been slower than anticipated. Indeed, recent findings highlight a pervasive relative age effect, the effects of maturation being often overlooked, disparate populations between

Background Currently, great debate exists over the proposed superiority of some resistance exercises to induce muscular adaptations. For example, some argue that unilateral exercise (meaning one limb at a time) is superior to bilateral exercises (meaning both limbs). Of note, an evidence-based answer to this question is yet to be determined, particularly regarding muscle hypertrophy. Objective This

Background Aging is associated with sustained low-grade inflammation, which has been linked to age-related diseases and mortality. Long-term exercise programs have been shown to be effective to for attenuating this process; however, subsequent detraining might negate some of these benefits. Master athletes, as a model of lifelong consistent exercise practice, have been suggested to present similar

Although dietary guidelines concerning carbohydrate intake for athletes are well established, these do not include recommendations for daily fibre intake. However, there are many scenarios in sports nutrition in which common practice involves the manipulation of fibre intake to address gastrointestinal comfort around exercise, or acute or chronic goals around the management of body mass or composition

Sports-related concussions (SRCs) are a major health issue in athletes of varying ages, ability levels, and sports. Concerns over the short- and long-term consequences of SRCs have incentivized a wealth of products and policies aimed at reducing SRC risk. Research suggesting the effectiveness of such interventions at reducing SRCs has facilitated their adoption by sports organizations and, in some

Background Although many studies have demonstrated a lower incidence of sudden cardiac arrest or death (SCA/D) in female athletes than in male, there is limited understanding of the specific underlying causes. Objective This systematic review aimed to assess the disparities in SCA/D incidence between male and female competitive athletes and explore the associated etiologies. Methods A comprehensive

Background Antarctic expeditions, although supported by scientific knowledge, face various challenges, with little research conducted to explore the physical demands that explorers experience. Objective To summarise physiological, psychological, body composition and nutritional changes faced during trek expeditions in the Antarctic’s continental portion. Design Systematic review. Information sources

Motor competence is related to a large number of correlates of different natures, forming together a system with flexible parts that are synergically and cooperatively connected to produce a wide range of motor outcomes that cannot be explained from a predetermined linear view or a unique mechanism. The diversity of interacting correlates, the various connections between them, and the fast changes

Background The distribution of time across physical activity, sedentary behaviors, and sleep appears to be essential for the management of obesity. However, the impact of reallocating time among these behaviors, collectively known as 24-h movement behaviors, remains underexplored. Objective This study examines the theoretical effects of reallocating time between 24-h movement behaviors on obesity indicators