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Advances in Sports, Exercise and Health, Second Edition
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Advances in Sports, Exercise and Health, Second Edition

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 5503

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Gian Mario Migliaccio

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Human Sciences and Promotion of the Quality of Life, San Raffaele Rome Open University, 00166 Rome, Italy
Interests: sport science; sport nutrition; sport psychology; sport physiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Luca Russo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, eCampus University, 22060 Novedrate, Italy
Interests: walking; running; posture; kinesiolgy; 3D motion analysis; foot plantar pressure; inertial sensors; injury prevention; sport biomechanics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Interest in sports science, exercise, and health is continuously growing, now encompassing a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines. Initially centred around physiology and medicine, interest in this field has expanded its horizons to involve a multitude of sectors.

In particular, sports performance analysis has gained enormous visibility in the past decade, with significant implications not only in the sporting realm but also in broader areas of general exercise science and public health. The advent of new technologies, sports analytics, and wearable devices has further enhanced this field, providing new evidence that benefits not only athletes but also a much wider population.

With this Special Issue, we aim to share the latest advances in this fascinating field, offering a platform where academic and industrial experts can discuss and identify solutions to emerging problems. Potential topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:

  • Reliability and validity in data measurement in performance analysis, extendable to the field of health.
  • The use of sports performance indicators in health prevention.
  • The introduction of new technologies to monitor adherence to international guidelines on physical activity.
  • The optimisation of sports equipment to improve performance, with applications in both the sporting and health prevention realms.
  • The integration of related areas, such as nutrition, to enhance benefits for a broader audience.
  • Innovations in monitoring performance, health, and workload.

We count on your valuable collaboration and participation in this Special Issue.

Best regards,

Dr. Gian Mario Migliaccio
Dr. Luca Russo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sports science
  • exercise
  • public health
  • performance analysis
  • health prevention
  • wearable devices
  • sports analytics
  • physical activity
  • sports nutrition

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1622 KB  
Article
Effects of Foot Strengthening Exercises With or Without a Toe Spacer on Hallux Alignment, Foot Mobility, and Balance: A Randomized Controlled Trial
by Sara Gloria Meh, Miha Pešič and Žiga Kozinc
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(7), 3163; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16073163 - 25 Mar 2026
Viewed by 1594
Abstract
Background: Intrinsic foot muscle strengthening and orthotic devices such as toe spacers are commonly used to improve foot alignment and function. However, evidence regarding the combined effects of strengthening exercises and interdigital spacers remains limited. Objective: To examine whether adding a silicone toe [...] Read more.
Background: Intrinsic foot muscle strengthening and orthotic devices such as toe spacers are commonly used to improve foot alignment and function. However, evidence regarding the combined effects of strengthening exercises and interdigital spacers remains limited. Objective: To examine whether adding a silicone toe spacer to a foot strengthening exercise program provides additional benefits compared with exercise alone. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Setting: University biomechanics laboratory. Participants: Twenty-five healthy adults (mean age 23.8 ± 1.3 years) without lower limb injury or neurological disorders were randomly allocated to one of two intervention groups. Interventions: Participants performed a six-week foot strengthening program (22 sessions). One group performed exercises alone, while the second group performed the same exercises while wearing a silicone interdigital toe spacer. Main outcome measures: The primary outcome was hallux valgus angle. Secondary outcomes included active and passive hallux range of motion (ROM), ankle dorsiflexion ROM (weight-bearing lunge test), navicular drop, and postural stability during single-leg stance assessed using center-of-pressure (CoP) measures. Results: Both groups demonstrated improvements over time in hallux valgus angle (p = 0.001, η2 = 0.361), active hallux range of motion (p < 0.001, η2 = 0.545), and ankle dorsiflexion (p < 0.001). However, no significant between-group differences were observed for the primary outcome or most secondary outcomes. A significant time × group interaction was observed only for passive hallux range of motion (p = 0.040, η2 = 0.170), indicating greater improvement in the exercise-only group. Navicular drop and postural stability variables did not change significantly. Conclusions: A six-week foot strengthening program improved hallux alignment, hallux mobility, and ankle dorsiflexion in healthy adults. The addition of a silicone toe spacer did not provide additional short-term benefits compared with exercise alone. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sports, Exercise and Health, Second Edition)
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10 pages, 375 KB  
Article
Effects of Different Rondo Formats on Internal and External Load Demands in Semi-Professional Football Players
by José María Escudero-Ferrer, Tomás Abelleira-Lamela, Manuel Ortega-Becerra, Javier Raya-González and Luis Manuel Martínez-Aranda
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(6), 2775; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16062775 - 13 Mar 2026
Viewed by 702
Abstract
Load monitoring is essential in football to optimise training prescription and reduce injury risk, yet the internal and external demands of common possession drills such as rondos remain insufficiently described. Rondo formats are widely used across levels, but changes in player configuration may [...] Read more.
Load monitoring is essential in football to optimise training prescription and reduce injury risk, yet the internal and external demands of common possession drills such as rondos remain insufficiently described. Rondo formats are widely used across levels, but changes in player configuration may substantially alter their load profile. This study examined how three rondo configurations (5vs2, 6vs2 and 8vs2) affect internal load (RPE) and external load (GPS-derived metrics) in semi-professional football players. Twenty-one Spanish players (mean age = 28.9 years) from the same team participated in the study. All players completed three rondo formats (5vs2, 6vs2 and 8vs2) across four separate weeks. Each format consisted of three 3-min bouts with 1 min of recovery, and players were restricted to one touch. Internal load was assessed using players’ rating of perceived exertion (RPE), while external load was measured using a global positioning system (GPS). The results showed a significantly higher perceived exertion in the 5vs2 rondo compared with the other formats (p < 0.001). Regarding external load, significantly greater values (p < 0.001) were observed in the 6vs2 rondo for distance covered at 12.1–18.0 km·h−1 (DZ2) and 18.1–21.0 km·h−1 (DZ3) compared with the other rondo formats. In contrast, 6vs2 also elicited a significantly lower number of accelerations above 3 m·s−2 and decelerations below −3 m·s−2 than the other formats (p < 0.001; p < 0.006). Finally, 5vs2 produced significantly higher maximum speed than 8vs2 (p = 0.016). In conclusion, the 6vs2 rondo may be the most suitable option to target DZ2 and DZ3 compared with 5vs2 and 8vs2. Conversely, 5vs2 induced the greatest acceleration and deceleration demands, followed by 8vs2. Therefore, coaches can select the rondo format according to the desired external load requirements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sports, Exercise and Health, Second Edition)
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17 pages, 1113 KB  
Article
Performance Predictors in Elite Athletes: Evaluating the Role of Eccentric Utilization Ratio and Mechanical Power Outputs
by Selman Kaya and Mehmet Ersöz
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(14), 7832; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15147832 - 12 Jul 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2631
Abstract
This study aimed to examine the relationship between the eccentric utilization ratio (EUR) and sprint, change of direction (COD), change of direction deficit (CODD%), and vertical jump performance, including countermovement jump (CMJ) and squat jump (SJ). A total of 32 elite athletes (16 [...] Read more.
This study aimed to examine the relationship between the eccentric utilization ratio (EUR) and sprint, change of direction (COD), change of direction deficit (CODD%), and vertical jump performance, including countermovement jump (CMJ) and squat jump (SJ). A total of 32 elite athletes (16 women and 16 men) participated. Performance was evaluated using force platforms and photocell timing systems during CMJ, SJ, 30 m sprint, and Pro-Agility tests. Pearson correlation and simple linear regression analyses were used to assess the relationships between EUR and performance variables. The results revealed that EUR was significantly associated with CMJ height (r = 0.587, p = 0.017) and 0–10 m sprint performance (r = 0.516, p = 0.041) in female athletes, whereas no significant relationships were found in males (r < 0.20, p > 0.05) for all performance variables. In contrast, strength–power metrics such as eccentric peak power (ECCPP), eccentric mean power (ECCMP), concentric mean power (CONMP), and peak power (PP) showed stronger associations with all performance variables, including COD, sprint segments, and jump tests. In conclusion, although EUR demonstrated limited predictive value particularly in male athletes directly measured strength–power variables appear to be more reliable indicators of athletic performance. These findings highlight the importance of prioritizing eccentric and concentric power outputs in performance assessment and individualized training strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sports, Exercise and Health, Second Edition)
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