Neuromuscular and Biomechanical Determinants of Performance, Injury, and Return to Sport in Athletes and Para-Athletes
A special issue of Sports (ISSN 2075-4663).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 227
Special Issue Editors
Interests: strength training; biomechanics; exercise physiology; musculoskeletal rehabilitation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
2. Sport Sciences Departments, University of Tra’s-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Interests: strength and conditioning; energy expenditure; exercise for health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Neuromuscular and biomechanical determinants provide a robust framework for understanding athletic performance, injury mechanisms, and safe return to sport in both athletes and para-athletes. This Special Issue of Sports aims to bring together high-quality original research, clinical trials, and reviews that examine objective measures of muscle function and movement control in relation to performance, injury risk, rehabilitation processes, and return-to-sport readiness.
We particularly welcome studies employing methods such as strength and power assessments; electromyography, isokinetic, and isometric testing; stabilometry and force platforms; motion capture systems; wearable technologies; and functional performance tests. Topics of interest include neuromuscular fatigue, interlimb asymmetries, postural control, movement variability, tissue loading, training load monitoring, and integrative return-to-sport decision-making models across both able-bodied and para-sport contexts.
Submissions may encompass laboratory-based, field-based, and clinical investigations, ranging from youth to elite sport and including special populations. The overarching goal of this Special Issue is to advance evidence-based, objectively informed practice in sports performance, injury prevention, rehabilitation, and return to sport.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Estêvão Rios Monteiro
Dr. Jose Manuel Vilaca Maio Alves
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-blind 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
- neuromuscular function
- sports biomechanics
- injury prevention
- return-to-play
- para-athletes
- training load monitoring
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.
