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Health and Performance Through Sports at All Ages: 4th Edition
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Health and Performance Through Sports at All Ages: 4th Edition

A special issue of Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology (ISSN 2411-5142). This special issue belongs to the section "Athletic Training and Human Performance".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 757

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Gianpiero Greco

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), University of Study of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy
Interests: physical activity; fitness; exercise physiology; health promotion; body composition; human performance; special education; nutrition; tactical populations; sport psychology; strength and conditioning; combat sport; data analysis; research methodology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is with great enthusiasm that I am announcing the fourth edition of this Special Issue of JFMK, ‘Health and Performance in Sports at All Ages’, with the aim to examine the effects of sports, practiced at all ages, on health and performance. Health, fitness, and exercise have become very important topics in the literature. Sports-related professionals require the support of evidence-based knowledge to respond satisfactorily to practicing individuals, teams, and combat sports. Topics of interest include strength training, exercise technique, conditioning methodologies and programming, performance recovery, skill development, body composition, nutrition for performance and health, and health- and performance-related testing. We welcome original research, meta-analysis, reviews, and brief reports on these topics. 

Prof. Dr. Gianpiero Greco
Guest Editor

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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 Functional Morphology and Kinesiology is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly 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 1800 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

  • exercise
  • physical activity
  • physical fitness
  • physical education
  • sports performance
  • human performance
  • resistance training
  • endurance training
  • body composition
  • active and healthy
  • aging combat sports

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 602 KiB  
Article
Is Cardiopulmonary Fitness Related to Attention, Concentration, and Academic Performance in Different Subjects in Schoolchildren?
by Markel Rico-González, Ricardo Martín-Moya, Jorge Carlos-Vivas, Francisco Javier Giles-Girela, Luca Paolo Ardigò and Francisco Tomás González-Fernández
J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2025, 10(3), 272; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10030272 - 16 Jul 2025
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Abstract
Background: The perceived importance of physical practice and its contribution to students’ academic success have evolved considerably throughout the history of the modern educational system. Aim: The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship between physical fitness (measured as VO2 [...] Read more.
Background: The perceived importance of physical practice and its contribution to students’ academic success have evolved considerably throughout the history of the modern educational system. Aim: The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship between physical fitness (measured as VO2max) and cognitive abilities (attention and concentration) and academic performance in different subjects: sciences, letters, language, arts, and physical education. Method: Fifty Spanish male students who participated in extracurricular sports activities (mean age (SD): 11.59 ± 1.30; range: 9–15 years) were included in the analysis. The 6 min walk test was used to assess physical fitness (6MWT), while for selective attention and concentration, the students completed the D2 test, which is usually considered to analyse the visual ability to select the most relevant stimulus of an exercise and ignore precisely the most irrelevant stimuli. Results: Correlation the individual contribution analyses revealed no significant associations between VO2max and academic performance in sciences (r = 0.04, p = 0.77), humanities (r = 0.00, p = 0.98), language (r = 0.03, p = 0.83), or arts (r = 0.04, p = 0.76). Similarly, no relationship was found between VO2max and overall academic performance (r = 0.10, p = 0.46), or cognitive abilities. However, a small positive correlation was observed between VO2max and physical education scores. Conclusions: Physical fitness showed no significant association with cognitive abilities or academic performance in most subjects, although a small positive correlation with physical education scores was observed. These findings emphasise the importance of promoting physical activity for its health and physical benefits. However, future research should explore broader cognitive outcomes and include more diverse and representative samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health and Performance Through Sports at All Ages: 4th Edition)
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Review

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18 pages, 419 KiB  
Review
The Effects of Cardiopulmonary Fitness on Executive Functioning or Academic Performance in Students from Early Childhood to Adolescence? A Systematic Review
by Markel Rico-González, Ricardo Martín-Moya, Francisco Javier Giles-Girela, Luca Paolo Ardigò and Francisco Tomás González-Fernández
J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2025, 10(3), 254; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10030254 - 4 Jul 2025
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Abstract
Background: Cardiovascular fitness has been proposed as a key factor influencing executive functioning and academic performance during childhood and adolescence. However, the extent and consistency of this relationship remain unclear across diverse populations and educational contexts. This systematic review aimed to evaluate whether [...] Read more.
Background: Cardiovascular fitness has been proposed as a key factor influencing executive functioning and academic performance during childhood and adolescence. However, the extent and consistency of this relationship remain unclear across diverse populations and educational contexts. This systematic review aimed to evaluate whether cardiovascular fitness, particularly measured through VO2max, is consistently associated with improvements in executive function and academic performance among students from early childhood to adolescence. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, and ProQuest Central was conducted up to 15 November 2022. Studies were included if they examined correlations between VO2max and cognitive or academic outcomes in students from preschool to high school. Methodological quality was assessed using the MINORS checklist. Results: Out of 271 identified studies, 12 met all inclusion criteria. Evidence suggests that higher VO2max is generally associated with improved executive function domains such as attention, working memory, and inhibitory control, as well as academic performance indicators including mathematics and reading scores. Neurophysiological studies also indicate links between cardiovascular fitness and brain structure/function. However, the strength and specificity of these associations vary across studies due to methodological differences, limited sample diversity, and inconsistent control for confounders. Conclusions: Cardiovascular fitness appears to have a positive, albeit complex, relationship with cognitive function and academic performance in youth. Future research should adopt longitudinal and experimental designs to clarify causal pathways and consider moderating factors such as sex, age, and psychosocial variables. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health and Performance Through Sports at All Ages: 4th Edition)
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