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
Interests: fatigue; electromyography; mechanomyography; neuromuscular function; perceived responses; human performance
Interests: electromyography; mechanomyography; muscular function; athletic training; coactivation; cross-education
Interests: basketball; neuromuscular performance; biomechanics; sport science; athlete monitoring; performance development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
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
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. Life is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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
- resistance exercise
- aerobic exercise
- neuromuscular
- kinematics
- kinetics
- biomechanics
- electromyography
- imaging techniques
- muscle function
- motion analysis
- sport performance
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.