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Sports
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Advances in Health-Optimized Athletic Training
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Advances in Health-Optimized Athletic Training

A special issue of Sports (ISSN 2075-4663).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2026) | Viewed by 5889

Editors

Dr. Élvio Rúbio Gouveia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physical Education and Sport, University of Madeira and Interactive Technologies Institute-LARSYS, 9020-105 Funchal, Portugal
Interests: healthy ageing; sports training; assistive technologies; physical activity; physical fitness; physical education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Krzysztof Przednowek

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physical Culture Science, Collegium Medicum, University of Rzezow, 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland
Interests: sports science; information technology in sports; biomechanics of sports; diagnostics in sports and health training
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Rui Nuno Trindade de Ornelas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Physical Education and Sport, University of Madeira, Funchal, Portugal
2. Centre for Tourism Research Development, 9020-105 Funchal-Madeira, Portugal
3. The Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Human Performance (CIPER), Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: physical activity; health; public health; obesity and underweight; physical fitness
Dr. Hélio Ricardo Lourenço Antunes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physical Education and Sport, University of Madeira and Centre for Tourism Research Development, and Innovation (CITUR), 9020-105 Funchal, Portugal
Interests: sports management; sports marketing; physical education; entrepreneurship and innovation in sports; active/sports tourism
Dr. Hugo Miguel Borges Sarmento

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: exercise-based interventions; recreational football; health promotion across the lifespan; special populations in physical activity; performance analysis and health outcomes; youth physical activity and development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The evolution of sports training is based on the pursuit of knowledge about how the body adapts to various physical and psychological stress factors during training. Advances in sports training depend on a holistic approach that integrates various interdisciplinary fields, contributing to a deeper understanding and a more effective application to enhance the athlete's performance capacity. The optimization of successful sports training, regardless of the sport, age group, or level, is achieved by developing systematic training plans that leverage accumulated knowledge from physiology, biomechanics, health, pedagogy, sociology, statistics, technology, and other fields. Research in health-optimized athleticTraining has primarily focused on the physiological effects and impacts of training loads, the effectiveness of different training interventions, the most efficient recovery modalities, nutritional countermeasures and biomechanical factors, and technological advancements supporting training monitoring. This Special Issue will address topics from various interdisciplinary areas that contribute to a better understanding of training processes, aiming to enhance health and athletes' performance in terms of multilateral physical development, sport-specific physical development, technical skills, tactical abilities, psychological characteristics, injury resistance, and theoretical knowledge about the processes involved.

Dr. Élvio Rúbio Gouveia
Dr. Krzysztof Przednowek
Dr. Rui Nuno Trindade de Ornelas
Dr. Hélio Ricardo Lourenço Antunes
Dr. Hugo Miguel Borges Sarmento
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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sports 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 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

  • physiology
  • human fitness
  • health fitness
  • exercise prescription
  • fitness assessment
  • training programmes

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

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 594 KB  
Article
Integrated Mechanical and Cardiopulmonary Adaptations During Repeated Jumps in Volleyball Players: Insights from CPET Analysis
by Ștefan Adrian Martin, Isabella Pelaghie, George Mihăiță Gavra, Gabriela Szabo and Roxana Maria Martin-Hadmaș
Sports 2026, 14(1), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/sports14010034 - 8 Jan 2026
Viewed by 1410
Abstract
Volleyball physical performance relies on the interaction between mechanical power, metabolic efficiency, and ventilatory regulation during repeated high-intensity actions. This study examined mechanical and cardiopulmonary responses during three consecutive 15 s countermovement jump bouts in female volleyball players, using simultaneous cardiopulmonary exercise testing. [...] Read more.
Volleyball physical performance relies on the interaction between mechanical power, metabolic efficiency, and ventilatory regulation during repeated high-intensity actions. This study examined mechanical and cardiopulmonary responses during three consecutive 15 s countermovement jump bouts in female volleyball players, using simultaneous cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Eighteen female athletes (18–28 years) completed the protocol with 60 s active recovery between efforts. Mechanical performance showed a progressive decline (p < 0.01), with jump height decreasing from 20.59 ± 3.04 cm to 19.30 ± 3.23 cm and power output from 15.80 ± 2.61 to 14.83 ± 2.25 W/kg (p = 0.001). Oxygen uptake (VO2) increased from 16.40 ± 6.73 to 20.87 ± 6.08 mL/min/kg (p = 0.002), while respiratory exchange ratio (RER) rose above 1.0, suggesting a growing anaerobic contribution. VE/VO2 and PetO2 also increased significantly (p < 0.001), indicating ventilatory adjustment to metabolic stress. Despite these adaptations, recovery between efforts appeared incomplete, reflected by persistent ventilatory and metabolic activation. These findings suggest moderate oxidative efficiency and partial fatigue compensation under short recovery conditions. The testing model may serve as a practical approach to evaluate the interplay between mechanical and metabolic performance and to refine individualized conditioning strategies in volleyball players. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Health-Optimized Athletic Training)
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13 pages, 1692 KB  
Article
Physical and Physiological Characterization of Custom-Made Virtual Reality Exergames: A Pilot Study
by Cíntia França, Hildegardo Noronha, Eva Freitas, Pedro Campos, Rui T. Ornelas and Élvio R. Gouveia
Sports 2025, 13(11), 380; https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13110380 - 3 Nov 2025
Viewed by 1093
Abstract
The continuous growth of the older adult population demands an urgent need to provide innovative ways to stimulate physical activity and promote functional health. This study presents FitFest, a custom-made virtual reality (VR) designed to deliver a complete physical activity (PA) session for [...] Read more.
The continuous growth of the older adult population demands an urgent need to provide innovative ways to stimulate physical activity and promote functional health. This study presents FitFest, a custom-made virtual reality (VR) designed to deliver a complete physical activity (PA) session for older adults. A pilot study involving seven older adults (67.0 ± 3.8 years) was conducted, comprising 18 user testing sessions of two VR exergames: Wine Fest and Flower Fest. PA intensity and heart rate (HR) were measured. The rate of perceived exertion (RPE) and the participants’ rating of the system’s usability were also registered. Overall, sessions involved mostly sedentary behavior (56.5 ± 20.4%) and light PA (42.1 ± 19.3%), with an average of 436.7 steps and 92.1 bpm. Wine Fest elicited less sedentary behavior (53.6 ± 22.1% vs. 62.8 ± 16.2%), higher light PA intensity (44.7 ± 20.4% vs. 36.4 ± 17.0%), and a higher step count (503.0 ± 345.4 vs. 291.0 ± 143.1) than the Flower Fest, although not significantly. Tasks requiring cardiovascular effort and strength were rated as more physically demanding. Most participants found the system user-friendly and showed interest in continued use, though technical support was essential due to limited familiarity with VR. The findings suggest FitFest has potential to promote light PA in older adults, highlighting the importance of usability and support in tech-based interventions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Health-Optimized Athletic Training)
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Other

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22 pages, 403 KB  
Systematic Review
Biological Markers of Cognitive Impairments in Combat and Contact-Sport Athletes: A Systematic Review
by José Raimundo Fernandes, Michele Andrade de Brito, Keveenrick Ferreira Costa, Felipe Inostroza Rios, Ignacio Roa-Gamboa, Naiara Ribeiro Almeida, Einstein Francisco de Camargos, Alfonso López Díaz de Durana, Bianca Miarka, Otávio de Toledo Nóbrega and Ciro José Brito
Sports 2026, 14(7), 272; https://doi.org/10.3390/sports14070272 - 1 Jul 2026
Viewed by 370
Abstract
This systematic review investigated the direct association between biomarkers and cognitive performance in adult athletes exposed to repetitive head impacts. Searches in the APA PsycNet, PubMed, Google Scholar, CAPES, and BVSalud databases (11 April 2026) evaluated adult athletes (≥18 years) who used standardized [...] Read more.
This systematic review investigated the direct association between biomarkers and cognitive performance in adult athletes exposed to repetitive head impacts. Searches in the APA PsycNet, PubMed, Google Scholar, CAPES, and BVSalud databases (11 April 2026) evaluated adult athletes (≥18 years) who used standardized neuropsychological tests and analyzed the association between biomarkers and cognition. Two reviewers performed selection, data extraction, and risk-of-bias assessment. Certainty of evidence was assessed using an adapted GRADE framework. A total of 10,480 records were identified. After removal of 697 duplicate records, they underwent screening and eligibility assessment, resulting in the inclusion of 10 studies. They showed low risk of bias, but sample imprecision reduced the certainty of evidence in 50% of cases. The cognitive domains assessed were memory, attention, processing speed, reaction time, and executive functions. Axonal biomarkers (70% of studies), inflammatory (40%), and synaptic biomarkers (10%). Eighty percent of the studies found a relationship between biological alterations and cognition. The most promising biomarkers associated with cognitive deficits are NfL and GFAP, but due to high methodological heterogeneity, imprecision of estimates (GRADE), and biases, the conclusions are provisional. Caution is recommended in clinical application until prospective studies with larger samples and active control groups confirm the findings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Health-Optimized Athletic Training)
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