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Exercise, Injury and Rehabilitation: Integrated Perspectives in Sports Medicine
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Exercise, Injury and Rehabilitation: Integrated Perspectives in Sports Medicine

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Sports Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 3 February 2026 | Viewed by 5124

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Cíntia França

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physical Education and Sport, University of Madeira, 9020-105 Funchal, Portugal
Interests: sport medicine; sports performance; physical activity; injury prediction; exercise; physical fitness
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Élvio Gouveia

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Department of Physical Education and Sport, University of Madeira, 9020-105 Funchal, Portugal
Interests: sport medicine; sports training; physical activity; physical fitness; assistive technologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The dynamic interplay between exercise, injury, and rehabilitation is central to sports medicine and essential for optimizing patient outcomes. Understanding the clinical mechanisms of injury and the most effective rehabilitation strategies is vital for promoting safe physical activity and long-term musculoskeletal health for all, from elite athletes to recreational exercisers.

This Special Issue, titled “Exercise, Injury and Rehabilitation: Integrated Perspectives in Sports Medicine”, invites contributions that explore clinical approaches to injury prevention, diagnostic techniques, therapeutic interventions, and post-injury rehabilitation. Special focus will be placed on multidisciplinary insights at the intersection of technologies, exercise physiology, and biomechanics.

We welcome original research, clinical trials, and reviews that bridge the gap between physical activity, injury risk, and recovery within the broader context of clinical medicine.

Dr. Cíntia França
Dr. Élvio Gouveia
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. Journal of Clinical Medicine 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 2600 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 medicine
  • biomechanics
  • injury prevention
  • exercise physiology
  • sports performance
  • load management
  • exercise prescription
  • return to play
  • recovery

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 329 KB  
Article
Machine Learning-Based Prediction of Muscle Injury Risk in Professional Football: A Four-Year Longitudinal Study
by Francisco Martins, Hugo Sarmento, Élvio Rúbio Gouveia, Paulo Saveca and Krzysztof Przednowek
J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(22), 8039; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14228039 - 13 Nov 2025
Viewed by 1561
Abstract
Background: Professional football requires more attention in planning work regimens that balance players’ sports performance optimization and reduce their injury probability. Machine learning applied to sports science has focused on predicting these events and identifying their risk factors. Our study aims to (i) [...] Read more.
Background: Professional football requires more attention in planning work regimens that balance players’ sports performance optimization and reduce their injury probability. Machine learning applied to sports science has focused on predicting these events and identifying their risk factors. Our study aims to (i) analyze the differences between injury incidence during training and matches and (ii) build and classify different predictive models of risk based on players’ internal and external loads across four sports seasons. Methods: This investigation involved 96 male football players (26.2 ± 4.2 years; 181.1 ± 6.1 cm; 74.5 ± 7.1 kg) representing a single professional football club across four analyzed seasons. The research was designed according to three methodological sets of assessments: (i) average season performance, (ii) two weeks’ performance before the event, and (iii) four weeks’ performance before the event. We applied machine learning classification methods to build and classify different predictive injury risk models for each dataset. The dependent variable is categorical, representing the occurrence of a time-loss muscle injury (N = 97). The independent variables include players’ information and external (GPS-derived) and internal (RPE) workload variables. Results: The Kstar classifier with the four-week window dataset achieved the best predictive performance, presenting an Area Under the Precision–Recall Curve (AUC-PR) of 83% and a balanced accuracy of 72%. Conclusions: In practical terms, this methodology provides technical staff with more reliable data to inform modifications to playing and training regimens. Future research should focus on understanding the technical staff’s qualitative vision of predictive models’ in-field applicability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exercise, Injury and Rehabilitation: Integrated Perspectives in Sports Medicine)

Other

Jump to: Research

16 pages, 595 KB  
Systematic Review
Effects of Barefoot and Minimalist Footwear Strength-Oriented Training on Foot Structure and Function in Athletic Populations: A Systematic Review
by Celia Rodríguez-Longobardo, Miguel Ángel Gómez-Ruano and Lorena Canosa-Carro
J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(21), 7629; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14217629 - 28 Oct 2025
Viewed by 3111
Abstract
Background/Objectives: The popularity of barefoot and minimalist footwear training has increased in recent years, yet its impact on foot strength, morphology, and functional outcomes remains unclear, particularly in strength-training contexts beyond running-focused studies. Although some biomechanical and anecdotal evidence exists, no systematic review [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: The popularity of barefoot and minimalist footwear training has increased in recent years, yet its impact on foot strength, morphology, and functional outcomes remains unclear, particularly in strength-training contexts beyond running-focused studies. Although some biomechanical and anecdotal evidence exists, no systematic review has specifically addressed the effects of foot-specific strength training interventions performed barefoot or with minimalist footwear. This review aimed to evaluate the effects of barefoot and minimalist footwear strength training interventions on foot muscle structure, force production, and neuromuscular function in healthy and athletic adults. Methods: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA and PICOS guidelines (PROSPERO number CRD420251134329). Comprehensive database searches were performed in July 2025. Eligible studies included barefoot or minimalist strength interventions in healthy and sportive adults, assessing outcomes related to foot muscle morphology, strength, functional performance, or neuromuscular adaptations. Methodological quality was evaluated using the PEDro and MINORS scales. Results: Seven studies involving 213 participants met the inclusion criteria. Most interventions led to significant improvements in intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscle volume, medial arch function, toe flexor strength, and neuromuscular control. Adaptations were particularly evident in interventions combining strength, balance, and agility exercises over multiple weeks. However, heterogeneity in protocols and outcome measures limited comparability. Some studies reported morphological gains without proportional improvements in strength or function. Conclusions: Barefoot and minimalist strength training can elicit beneficial morphological and functional adaptations in the foot. Nevertheless, inconsistencies in study design, small sample sizes, absence of follow-up assessment and lack of standardized protocols highlight the need for high-quality research to guide training recommendations beyond running-focused populations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exercise, Injury and Rehabilitation: Integrated Perspectives in Sports Medicine)
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