Articles

Determinants of Cycling Performance: a Review of the Dimensions and Features Regulating Performance in Elite Cycling Competitions

A key tenet of sports performance research is to provide coaches and athletes with information to inform better practice, yet the determinants of athletic performance in actual competition remain an under-exam...

Authors: Kathryn E. Phillips and William G. Hopkins

The Value of Preseason Screening for Injury Prediction: The Development and Internal Validation of a Multivariable Prognostic Model to Predict Indirect Muscle Injury Risk in Elite Football (Soccer) Players

In elite football (soccer), periodic health examination (PHE) could provide prognostic factors to predict injury risk.

Authors: Tom Hughes, Richard D. Riley, Michael J. Callaghan and Jamie C. Sergeant

A Pragmatic Approach to Resolving Technological Unfairness: the Case of Nike’s Vaporfly and Alphafly Running Footwear

Technology is often introduced into sport to facilitate it or to improve human performance within it. On occasion, some forms of novel technology require regulation or prevention entirely to ensure that a spor...

Authors: Bryce Dyer

Effect of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs on Sport Performance Indices in Healthy People: a Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are medications that are frequently used by athletes. There may also be some abuse of these substances, although it is unclear whether NSAIDs in fact enhance perf...

Authors: Catherine Cornu, Clémence Grange, Amanda Regalin, Justine Munier, Sonia Ounissi, Natane Reynaud, Behrouz Kassai-Koupai, Pierre Sallet and Patrice Nony

The Effect of Training Experience and Leg Dominance on the Prevalence of Asymptomatic Intraarticular Changes of the Knee Joints in Adult Professional Male Soccer Players

Currently, no data is available regarding the association between professional experience or limb dominance and the prevalence of asymptomatic knee joint lesions in adult professional male soccer players.

Authors: Eduard Nikolayevich Bezuglov, Vladimir Yurevich Khaitin, Anastasiya Vladimirovna Lyubushkina, Artemii Mikhailovich Lazarev, Artem Valerievich Gorinov, Elena Yurevna Sivakova, Elizaveta Ilinichna Rumiantseva and Alexey Vladimirovich Lychagin

The Relationship Between Physical Fitness Qualities and Sport-Specific Technical Skills in Female, Team-Based Ball Players: A Systematic Review

Understanding the relationships between physical fitness attributes and sport-specific technical skills may assist with the establishment of beneficial training interventions. The aim of this systematic review...

Authors: Jessica B. Farley, Joshua Stein, Justin W. L. Keogh, Carl T. Woods and Nikki Milne

A Randomised, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study Investigating the Optimal Timing of a Caffeine-Containing Supplement for Exercise Performance

Pre-exercise supplements containing low doses of caffeine improve endurance exercise performance, but the most efficacious time for consumption before intense endurance exercise remains unclear, as does the co...

Authors: Andrew D. Davenport, Tom S. O. Jameson, Sean P. Kilroe, Alistair J. Monteyne, George F. Pavis, Benjamin T. Wall, Marlou L. Dirks, Nima Alamdari, Catherine R. Mikus and Francis B. Stephens

The Association of Aquaporin-1 Gene with Marathon Running Performance Level: a Confirmatory Study Conducted in Male Hispanic Marathon Runners

Replication studies are essential for identifying credible associations between alleles and phenotypes. Validation of genotype-phenotype associations in the sports and exercise field is rare. An initial geneti...

Authors: Miguel A. Rivera, Thomas D. Fahey, Juan R. López-Taylor and Juan L. Martínez

Meeting report: the 24th Annual Congress of the European College of Sports Science (ECSS) – 3-6 July 2019, Prague, Czech Republic

Authors: Steve McMillan

Applied Sport Science for Male Age-Grade Rugby Union in England

Rugby union (RU) is a skill-collision team sport played at junior and senior levels worldwide. Within England, age-grade rugby governs the participation and talent development of youth players. The RU player d...

Authors: Kevin Till, Jonathon Weakley, Dale B. Read, Padraic Phibbs, Josh Darrall-Jones, Greg Roe, Sarah Chantler, Stephen Mellalieu, Michael Hislop, Keith Stokes, Andrew Rock and Ben Jones

The Adverse Effects of Androgen Deprivation Therapy in Prostate Cancer and the Benefits and Potential Anti-oncogenic Mechanisms of Progressive Resistance Training

Prostate cancer has the second highest incidence of all cancers amongst men worldwide. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) remains a common form of treatment. However, in reducing serum testosterone to castrate...

Authors: Teresa Lam, Vita Birzniece, Mark McLean, Howard Gurney, Amy Hayden and Birinder S. Cheema

Iliac Crest Bone Grafting for the Management of Anterior Shoulder Instability in Patients with Glenoid Bone Loss: a Systematic Review of Contemporary Literature

A number of clinical trials have been published assessing the role of iliac crest bone grafting for the management of recurrent anterior instability with glenoid bone loss in contemporary practice. We therefor...

Authors: Michael-Alexander Malahias, Dimitrios Chytas, Vasileios Raoulis, Efstathios Chronopoulos, Emmanouil Brilakis and Emmanouil Antonogiannakis

Metabolite Concentration Changes in Humans After a Bout of Exercise: a Systematic Review of Exercise Metabolomics Studies

Exercise changes the concentrations of many metabolites, which are small molecules (< 1.5 kDa) metabolized by the reactions of human metabolism. In recent years, especially mass spectrometry-based metabolomics...

Authors: Daniela Schranner, Gabi Kastenmüller, Martin Schönfelder, Werner Römisch-Margl and Henning Wackerhage

Development of a Human Activity Recognition System for Ballet Tasks

Accurate and detailed measurement of a dancer’s training volume is a key requirement to understanding the relationship between a dancer’s pain and training volume. Currently, no system capable of quantifying a...

Authors: Danica Hendry, Kevin Chai, Amity Campbell, Luke Hopper, Peter O’Sullivan and Leon Straker

The Effects of Increased Midsole Bending Stiffness of Sport Shoes on Muscle-Tendon Unit Shortening and Shortening Velocity: a Randomised Crossover Trial in Recreational Male Runners

Individual compliances of the foot-shoe interface have been suggested to store and release elastic strain energy via ligamentous and tendinous structures or by increased midsole bending stiffness (MBS), compre...

Authors: Sasa Cigoja, Michael J. Asmussen, Colin R. Firminger, Jared R. Fletcher, W. Brent Edwards and Benno M. Nigg

Correction to: The biomechanics and applications of strongman exercises: a systematic review

The original article [1] contained an error whereby the symbol ‘☼’ originally included in and below Tables 2–5 did not display properly.

Authors: Benjamin R. Hindle, Anna Lorimer, Paul Winwood and Justin W. L. Keogh

Physical Activity Following Hip Arthroscopy in Young and Middle-Aged Adults: A Systematic Review

Hip arthroscopy is a common surgical intervention for young and middle-aged adults with hip-related pain and dysfunction, who have high expectations for returning to physical activity following surgery. The pu...

Authors: Denise M. Jones, Kay M. Crossley, Ilana N. Ackerman, Harvi F. Hart, Karen L. Dundules, Michael J. O’Brien, Benjamin F. Mentiplay, Joshua J. Heerey and Joanne L. Kemp

Quantifying the Collision Dose in Rugby League: A Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, and Critical Analysis

Collisions (i.e. tackles, ball carries, and collisions) in the rugby league have the potential to increase injury risk, delay recovery, and influence individual and team performance. Understanding the collisio...

Authors: Mitchell Naughton, Ben Jones, Sharief Hendricks, Doug King, Aron Murphy and Cloe Cummins

The effects of short-term combined exercise training on telomere length in obese women: a prospective, interventional study

Telomere length is inversely associated with the senescence and aging process. Parallelly, obesity can promote telomere shortening. Evidence suggests that physical activity may promote telomere elongation.

Authors: Camila Fernanda Cunha Brandao, Carla Barbosa Nonino, Flavia Giolo de Carvalho, Carolina Ferreira Nicoletti, Natalia Yumi Noronha, Rocio San Martin, Ellen Cristini de Freitas, Marcia Varella Morandi Junqueira-Franco and Julio Sergio Marchini

Performance Analysis in Rugby Union: a Critical Systematic Review

Performance analysis in rugby union has become an integral part of the coaching process. Although performance analysis research in rugby and data collection has progressed, the utility of the insights is not w...

Authors: Carmen M. E. Colomer, David B. Pyne, Mitch Mooney, Andrew McKune and Benjamin G. Serpell

Nordic walking training in elderly, a randomized clinical trial. Part II: Biomechanical and metabolic adaptations

Nordic walking is an attractive method of endurance training. Nevertheless, the biomechanic response due to the additional contribution of using poles in relation to free walking training has been less explore...

Authors: Natalia Andrea Gomeñuka, Henrique Bianchi Oliveira, Edson Soares da Silva, Elren Passos-Monteiro, Rodrigo Gomes da Rosa, Alberito Rodrigo Carvalho, Rochelle Rocha Costa, Martín Cruz Rodríguez Paz, Barbara Pellegrini and Leonardo Alexandre Peyré-Tartaruga

The performance of the World Rugby Head Injury Assessment Screening Tool: a diagnostic accuracy study

Off-field screening tools, such as the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT), have been recommended to identify possible concussion following a head impact where the consequences are unclear. However, real-...

Authors: G. W. Fuller, R. Tucker, L. Starling, E. Falvey, M. Douglas and M. Raftery

A Systematic Review and Qualitative Synthesis Resulting in a Typology of Elementary Classroom Movement Integration Interventions

Movement integration (MI) involves infusing physical activity into normal classroom time. A wide range of MI interventions have succeeded in increasing children’s participation in physical activity. However, n...

Authors: Spyridoula Vazou, Collin A. Webster, Gregory Stewart, Priscila Candal, Cate A. Egan, Adam Pennell and Laura B. Russ

Assessment of Physical Activity Indicators for Children and Youth in Ethiopia: Evidence from the Global Matrix 3.0 Study (2017–2018)

Regular physical activity is vital for children’s health, well-being, and development. However, evidence is scant about physical activity indicators for children and youth in Ethiopia. This study aimed to asse...

Authors: Chalchisa Abdeta, Zelalem Teklemariam, Alem Deksisa, Endashew Abera, Reginald Ocansey and Anthony D. Okely

A survey of mathematical models of human performance using power and energy

The ability to predict the systematic decrease of power during physical exertion gives valuable insights into health, performance, and injury. This review surveys the research of power-based models of fatigue ...

Authors: Vijay Sarthy M. Sreedhara, Gregory M. Mocko and Randolph E. Hutchison

Effect of Different Physical Training Forms on Change of Direction Ability: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

The ability to perform a rapid change of direction (COD) is a critical skill in numerous court- and field-based sports. The aim of this review is to investigate the effect of different physical training forms ...

Authors: Hallvard Nygaard Falch, Håvard Guldteig Rædergård and Roland van den Tillaar

Physical Activity Reduces Epilepsy Incidence: a Retrospective Cohort Study in Swedish Cross-Country Skiers and an Experimental Study in Seizure-Prone Synapsin II Knockout Mice

Epilepsy patients commonly exercise less than the general population. Animal studies indicate beneficial effects of physical activity in established epilepsy, while its effect on the development is currently l...

Authors: Matilda Ahl, Una Avdic, Maria Compagno Strandberg, Deepti Chugh, Emelie Andersson, Ulf Hållmarker, Stefan James, Tomas Deierborg and Christine T. Ekdahl

The Challenge of Applying and Undertaking Research in Female Sport

In recent years there has been an exponential rise in the professionalism and success of female sports. Practitioners (e.g., sport science professionals) aim to apply evidence-informed approaches to optimise a...

Authors: Stacey Emmonds, Omar Heyward and Ben Jones

Liver-Metabolizing Genes and Their Relationship to the Performance of Elite Spanish Male Endurance Athletes; a Prospective Transversal Study

The genetic profile that is needed to define an endurance athlete has been studied during recent years. The main objective of this work is to approach for the first time the study of genetic variants in liver-...

Authors: David Varillas Delgado, Juan José Tellería Orriols and Carlos Martín Saborido

The Biomechanics and Applications of Strongman Exercises: a Systematic Review

The sport of strongman is becoming increasingly popular, catering for females, lightweight, and Masters competitors, with strongman exercises also being used by strength and conditioning coaches for a range of...

Authors: Benjamin R. Hindle, Anna Lorimer, Paul Winwood and Justin W. L. Keogh

Monitoring the Athlete Match Response: Can External Load Variables Predict Post-match Acute and Residual Fatigue in Soccer? A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis

Monitoring athletes’ external load during a soccer match may be useful to predict post-match acute and residual fatigue. This estimation would allow individual adjustments to training programs to minimize inju...

Authors: Karim Hader, Michael C. Rumpf, Maxime Hertzog, Liam P. Kilduff, Olivier Girard and Joao R. Silva

Enhancing the value of accelerometer-assessed physical activity: meaningful visual comparisons of data-driven translational accelerometer metrics

The lack of consensus on meaningful and interpretable physical activity outcomes from accelerometer data hampers comparison across studies. Cut-point analyses are simple to apply and easy to interpret but can ...

Authors: Alex V. Rowlands, Nathan P. Dawkins, Ben Maylor, Charlotte L. Edwardson, Stuart J. Fairclough, Melanie J. Davies, Deirdre M. Harrington, Kamlesh Khunti and Tom Yates

Mental Health In Elite Athletes: Increased Awareness Requires An Early Intervention Framework to Respond to Athlete Needs

The current ‘state of play’ in supporting elite athlete mental health and wellbeing has centred mostly on building mental health literacy or awareness of the signs of mental ill-health amongst athletes. Such a...

Authors: Rosemary Purcell, Kate Gwyther and Simon M. Rice

Acceptability, Feasibility and Preliminary Evaluation of a Novel, Personalised, Home-Based Physical Activity Intervention for Chronic Heart Failure (Active-at-Home-HF): a Pilot Study

Less than 10% of heart failure patients in the UK participate in cardiac rehabilitation programmes. The present pilot study evaluated feasibility, acceptability and physiological effects of a novel, personalis...

Authors: Nduka C. Okwose, Leah Avery, Nicola O’Brien, Sophie Cassidy, Sarah J. Charman, Kristian Bailey, Lazar Velicki, Iacopo Olivotto, Paul Brennan, Guy A. MacGowan and Djordje G. Jakovljevic

The Training and Development of Elite Sprint Performance: an Integration of Scientific and Best Practice Literature

Despite a voluminous body of research devoted to sprint training, our understanding of the training process leading to a world-class sprint performance is limited. The objective of this review is to integrate ...

Authors: Thomas Haugen, Stephen Seiler, Øyvind Sandbakk and Espen Tønnessen

Smoothness: an Unexplored Window into Coordinated Running Proficiency

Over the expanse of evolutionary history, humans, and predecessor Homo species, ran to survive. This legacy is reflected in many deeply and irrevocably embedded neurological and biological design features, featur...

Authors: John Kiely, Craig Pickering and David J. Collins

Retraction Note: Assessing cardiorespiratory fitness of soccer players: is test specificity the issue?–a review

The editors have retracted this article [1] because it contains substantial text and figure overlap with the following articles [2–5].

Authors: Monèm Jemni, Mohammad Shoaib Prince and Julien S. Baker

The Role of Technology in Adherence to Physical Activity Programs in Patients with Chronic Diseases Experiencing Fatigue: a Systematic Review

The beneficial role of physical activity (PA) to manage the health condition of patients with chronic diseases is well known. However, adherence to PA guidelines in this group is still low. Monitoring and user...

Authors: Andrea Albergoni, Florentina J. Hettinga, Antonio La Torre, Matteo Bonato and Francesco Sartor

Association Between aquaporin-1 and Endurance Performance: A Systematic Review

There is abundant and mounting information related to the molecular and biological structure and function of the Aquaporin-1 (AQP1) gene and the AQP1-Aquaporin channel. Regulation of water flow across cell membra...

Authors: Miguel A. Rivera and Thomas D. Fahey

Correlates and Determinants of Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Adults: a Systematic Review

Enhanced cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is now a well-established predictor of numerous adverse health outcomes. Knowledge about the pathways leading to enhanced CRF is essential for developing appropriate in...

Authors: Johannes Zeiher, Katherine J. Ombrellaro, Nita Perumal, Thomas Keil, Gert B. M. Mensink and Jonas D. Finger

The Effects of a Single Versus Three Consecutive Sessions of Football Training on Postprandial Lipemia: a Randomized, Controlled Trial in Healthy, Recreationally Active Males

Exercise frequency is important for maintaining health; however, its effects on postprandial responses remain largely unknown. Better understanding this during popular sports activities such as football may in...

Authors: Darren J. Paul, Jens Bangsbo, Anissa Cherif and George P. Nassis

Infection from Outdoor Sporting Events—More Risk than We Think?

Competitive sports that involve extensive contact with mud are commonly held events and growing in popularity. However, the natural environment contributes to infection risks, and these events have been implic...

Authors: Jamie E. DeNizio and David A. Hewitt

Inspiration for the Future: The Role of Inspiratory Muscle Training in Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited, multi-system, life-limiting disease characterized by a progressive decline in lung function, which accounts for the majority of CF-related morbidity and mortality. Inspira...

Authors: Ren-Jay Shei, Robert L. Dekerlegand, Kelly A. Mackintosh, John D. Lowman and Melitta A. McNarry

Inter-rater Reliability in Assessing Exercise Fidelity for the Injury Prevention Exercise Programme Knee Control in Youth Football Players

To receive maximum benefits from injury prevention exercise programmes (IPEP) such as Knee Control, players need to perform the exercises as prescribed. But, exercise fidelity in IPEPs is seldom evaluated. We dev...

Authors: Gustav Ljunggren, Nirmala Kanthi Panagodage Perera and Martin Hägglund

The effect of exercise training on the quality of sleep in national-level adolescent finswimmers

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether the quality of sleep, in 91 national-level adolescent finswimmers, is affected by swimming style, swimming distance, and gender.

Authors: Vasileios Stavrou, George D. Vavougios, Fotini Bardaka, Eleni Karetsi, Zoe Daniil and Konstantinos I. Gourgoulianis

An Analysis of Knee Injuries in Rugby League: The Experience at the Newcastle Knights Professional Rugby League Team

Epidemiologic data in professional sport is becoming an increasingly valuable tool in identifying frequently occurring injuries and developing strategies to reduce their occurrence. Currently, there is a pauci...

Authors: George Elias Habib Awwad, Jennifer Helen Coleman, Christopher James Dunkley and David Craig Dewar

A Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating the Effects of Undulatory, Staggered, and Linear Load Manipulations in Aerobic Training on Oxygen Supply, Muscle Injury, and Metabolism in Male Recreational Runners

Taper is considered as a strategy to avoid overtraining and increase peak performance in athletes. Because aerobic exercise increases the level and duration of independence during the lifespan, the participati...

Authors: Paulo Costa, Roberto Simão, Anselmo Perez, Maurício Gama, Rogério Lanchtermacher, Reinaldo Musialowski, Fábio Braga, Valeria de Mello Coelho and Alexandre Palma

Management of primary anterior shoulder dislocations: a narrative review

The recurrence rate following acute anterior shoulder dislocations is high, particularly in young, active individuals. The purpose of this paper is to provide a narrative overview of the best available evidenc...

Authors: Andrew W. Hasebroock, Joseph Brinkman, Lukas Foster and Joseph P. Bowens

Autologous Blood Transfusion Enhances Exercise Performance—Strength of the Evidence and Physiological Mechanisms

This review critically evaluates the magnitude of performance enhancement that can be expected from various autologous blood transfusion (ABT) procedures and the underlying physiological mechanisms. The review...

Authors: Sara Amalie Solheim, Jacob Bejder, Andreas Breenfeldt Andersen, Jakob Mørkeberg and Nikolai Baastrup Nordsborg

Current Approaches to the Use of Artificial Intelligence for Injury Risk Assessment and Performance Prediction in Team Sports: a Systematic Review

The application of artificial intelligence (AI) opens an interesting perspective for predicting injury risk and performance in team sports. A better understanding of the techniques of AI employed and of the sp...

Authors: João Gustavo Claudino, Daniel de Oliveira Capanema, Thiago Vieira de Souza, Julio Cerca Serrão, Adriano C. Machado Pereira and George P. Nassis