Musculoskeletal Function and Exercise Physiology: Integrative Approaches and Emerging Insights

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Research".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2026 | Viewed by 4

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Exercise and Performance Nutrition Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, Lindenwood University, Saint Charles, MO 63301, USA
Interests: fatigue; electromyography; mechanomyography; neuromuscular function; perceived responses; human performance

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Guest Editor
Exercise Physiology Laboratory, Department of Health & Human Performance, University of Wisconsin, Platteville, WI 53818, USA
Interests: electromyography; mechanomyography; muscular function; athletic training; coactivation; cross-education

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Guest Editor
Jayhawk Athletic Performance Laboratory—Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, Department of Health, Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
Interests: basketball; neuromuscular performance; biomechanics; sport science; athlete monitoring; performance development
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Guest Editor
Sport Performance Laboratory, College of Education & Human Performance, Dakota State University, Madison, SD 57042, USA
Interests: biomechanics; sport science; athletic performance; injury prevention

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We would like to introduce our Special Issue on “Musculoskeletal Function and Exercise Physiology: Integrative Approaches and Emerging Insights,” which emphasizes the application of both direct and indirect assessments of musculoskeletal function (MSF) across various conditions and exercise modalities.

Musculoskeletal function refers to the activation of skeletal muscle via neural input, resulting in muscle contraction and the movement of the skeletal system. Musculoskeletal function is influenced by factors such muscle size and quality, as well as neural characteristics including motor unit size and type, discharge rate, conduction velocity, and recruitment patterns. To evaluate MSF, researchers often use techniques such as electromyography, biomechanical analysis, and microscopy, and imaging procedures such as ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Within exercise physiology, MSF is commonly assessed to characterize the acute and chronic effects of exercise and, furthermore, it serves as a key marker for identifying the presence or progression of neuromuscular and musculoskeletal disorders. Thus, MSF provides insight into the beneficial effects of exercise training and the detrimental consequences of musculoskeletal diseases.

In this Special Issue, we invite original research and review articles—particularly those incorporating novel neuromuscular, biomechanical, and image-based analyses—that examine the acute and chronic effects of exercise on MSF in healthy, clinical, and athletic populations.

Dr. Robert Smith
Dr. Tyler Neltner
Dr. Dimitrije Cabarkapa
Dr. Luke Chowning
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • resistance exercise
  • aerobic exercise
  • neuromuscular
  • kinematics
  • kinetics
  • biomechanics
  • electromyography
  • imaging techniques
  • muscle function
  • motion analysis
  • sport performance

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Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
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