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New Perspectives and Challenges in Adapted Sports
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New Perspectives and Challenges in Adapted Sports

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: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 1991

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Valentina Cavedon

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37131 Verona, Italy
Interests: motor sciences; physical and sporting activities adapted for people with physical, sensorial and intellectual–relational disabilities; the well-being and sporting performance of Paralympic athletes; analysis of body composition and evaluation of bone mineral density using bone densitometry in different populations of athletes and in subjects suffering from diabetes; obesity; osteoporosis; cognitive decline; heart disease; multiple sclerosis; spinal cord injury; amputation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As Guest Editor, I am delighted to announce the forthcoming Special Issue, titled, 'New Perspectives and Challenges in Adapted Sports' in the Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology.

In the last decade, there has been tremendous growth in participation and attention to adapted sports worldwide. Adapted sports, such as wheelchair sports, para skiing, sitting volleyball, amputee soccer, and para ice hockey, are specifically designed or modified for athletes with disabilities, including those with physical, sensory, or intellectual impairments, to enable their participation in competitive or recreational activities. This Special Issue thus focuses on pioneering advances in adapted sport science and explores empirical and theoretical concepts in nutrition, physiology, psychology, classification, and athletic training, with a special focus on the health and sport performance of athletes with disabilities. It will feature up-to-date research offering new insights and evaluations of innovative practices and emerging technologies for training and performance strategies tailored to athletes with disabilities, from amateurs to professionals. Contributions will also provide detailed analyses and evaluations that promote the health and well-being of athletes while addressing issues related to their overall quality of life, equal opportunities, accessibility in parasports, and social inclusion.

We welcome submissions that provide profound and original perspectives, contributing valuable insights to the scientific literature with practical and effective approaches applicable to the sports field. These submissions should encourage a critical, forward-looking perspective, addressing the future challenges faced by para-athletes, coaches, and researchers alike, while fostering a comprehensive and interdisciplinary dialogue to promote and support adapted sports.

Dr. Valentina Cavedon
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

  • Paralympic sports
  • para-athletes
  • physical impairments
  • visual impairments
  • sport performance
  • physical health
  • mental health
  • quality of life
  • athletic training

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 391 KB  
Article
A Comparative Study of Paralympic Veterans with Either a Spinal Cord Injury or an Amputation: Implications for Personalized Nutritional Advice
by Ilaria Peluso, Anna Raguzzini, Elisabetta Toti, Gennaro Boccia, Roberto Ferrara, Diego Munzi, Paolo Riccardo Brustio, Alberto Rainoldi, Valentina Cavedon, Chiara Milanese, Tommaso Sciarra and Marco Bernardi
J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2025, 10(3), 305; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10030305 - 6 Aug 2025
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Abstract
Background: Dietary advice for Paralympic athletes (PAs) with a spinal cord injury (PAs-SCI) requires particular attention and has been widely studied. However, currently, no particular attention has been addressed to nutritional guidelines for athletes with an amputation (PAs-AMP). This study aimed at [...] Read more.
Background: Dietary advice for Paralympic athletes (PAs) with a spinal cord injury (PAs-SCI) requires particular attention and has been widely studied. However, currently, no particular attention has been addressed to nutritional guidelines for athletes with an amputation (PAs-AMP). This study aimed at filling up this gap, at least partially, and compared veteran PAs-SCI with PAs-AMP. Methods: A sample of 25 male PAs (12 with SCI and 13 with AMP), recruited during two training camps, was submitted to the following questionnaires: allergy questionnaire for athletes (AQUA), Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), Starvation Symptom Inventory (SSI), neurogenic bowel dysfunction (NBD), orthorexia (ORTO-15/ORTO-7), alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT), and Mediterranean diet adherence (MDS). The PAs were also submitted to the following measurements: dietary Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) and intakes, body composition, handgrip strength (HGS), basal energy expenditure (BEE), peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), peak power, peak heart rate (HR), post-exercise ketosis, and antioxidant response after a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) to voluntary fatigue. Results: Compared to PAs-AMP, PAs-SCI had higher NBD and lower VO2peak (p < 0.05), peak power, peak HR, peak lactate, phase angle (PhA) of the dominant leg (p < 0.05), and ORTO15 (p < 0.05). The latter was related to NBD (r = −0.453), MDS (r = −0.638), and ORAC (r = −0.529), whereas ORTO7 correlated with PhA of the dominant leg (r = 0.485). Significant differences between PAs-AMP and PAs-SCI were not found in the antioxidant response, glucose, and ketone levels after CPET, nor in dietary intake, AUDIT, AQUA, NMQ, SSI, BEE, HGS, and FM%. Conclusions: The present study showed that PAs-SCI and PAs-AMP display similar characteristics in relation to lifestyle, energy intake, basal energy expenditure, and metabolic response to CPET. Based on both the similarities with PAs-SCI and the consequences of the limb deficiency impairment, PAs-AMP and PAs-SCI require personalized nutritional advice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Perspectives and Challenges in Adapted Sports)
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14 pages, 458 KB  
Article
Gender Participation and Performance in Boccia International-Level Events
by Cátia C. Ferreira, José M. Gamonales, Jesús Muñoz-Jiménez and Mário C. Espada
J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2025, 10(1), 87; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10010087 - 6 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 944
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Boccia is an attractive and growing adapted sport. For approximately 30 years, this parasport was played together by male and female athletes, a fact that recently changed, to our best knowledge, without scientific support. Hence, this study aimed to analyse the relationship [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Boccia is an attractive and growing adapted sport. For approximately 30 years, this parasport was played together by male and female athletes, a fact that recently changed, to our best knowledge, without scientific support. Hence, this study aimed to analyse the relationship between gender participation and performance in Boccia international-level events. Methods: For data collection, four specific international-level Boccia events between 2012 and 2018 were selected as partials were available in the official competition websites (2708 partials, which represent a total of 32,496 ball throws). Results: We found that partials won by male athletes systematically increased between 2012 and 2018 but tended to stabilize between 2017 and 2018, contrary to females, with a growing trend from 2016 onwards. No differences were observed, considering the players’ gender and the type of partials (adjusted, balanced, and unbalanced) in the Boccia classes BC1, BC2, and BC3. In BC4 differences were found, but with little variance or low association level (Cramer’s Phi coefficient of 0.114). Conclusions: The results emphasize that based on performance, both men and woman can play Boccia together. Although, if the focus of separating genders in Boccia is toward growing and effective female participation and equal success and reward opportunities, this study highlights as a good perspective aiming regular practice of physical activity, exercise, and sport in people with disabilities, promoting their quality of life. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Perspectives and Challenges in Adapted Sports)
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