Biomechanics and Sports Performances (2nd Edition)

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2025) | Viewed by 2228

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
Interests: health professions; sport; exercise training; quality of life; health promotion; public health; aging
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E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90144 Palermo, Italy
Interests: physical activity; exercise; gait analysis; dynamic postural; fitness; balance; posture; biomechanics; human movement
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Postural control is a topic of growing interest in the scientific field of sport and exercise. Many factors contribute to good postural control, and the various receptors of the nervous system have a significant influence on the postural control system. Biomechanics is the study of body systems using the methods of mechanics. Human biomechanics emphasizes how forces act on the musculoskeletal system and how the body reacts to these forces. Both coaches and athletes will have a clear advantage if they can clarify how the forces acting on the muscles influence movements and performances. Improving technique with the help of biomechanics can ultimately be a useful tool in optimizing performance, preventing injuries, and heightening the general well-being of athletes. Interestingly, some studies have suggested that only specific exercise trainings can stimulate the postural system. Therefore, this Special Issue seeks original research articles and reviews on any subject related to specific exercise trainings for aiding balance and posture in athletes in order to summarize the most important biomechanics parameters influencing human performance. However, of particular interest will be articles that examine how to use new technologies to evaluate the deficits and improvements obtained post-training regarding biomechanics. All manuscripts will be peer-reviewed by experts in the field and will be held to the highest level of academic and scientific integrity. We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Valerio Giustino
Dr. Antonino Patti
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • biomechanics
  • sports
  • posture
  • physical activity
  • gait analysis
  • performances
  • dynamic postural
  • fitness
  • balance

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 2317 KB  
Article
Laboratory Analysis of Backpack Design and Walking Gradient Effects on Gait Kinetics and Kinematics
by Timothy Grigg, Natalia Kabaliuk and Sibi Walter
Sports 2025, 13(10), 350; https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13100350 - 3 Oct 2025
Viewed by 388
Abstract
Background: Heavy backpacks are carried by hikers during prolonged trekking trips. A backpack’s design could impact a hiker’s gait kinematics and kinetics. Objective: We aimed to assess the impact of backpack designs on lumbar extension (LE) and centre of pressure (COP) during walking. [...] Read more.
Background: Heavy backpacks are carried by hikers during prolonged trekking trips. A backpack’s design could impact a hiker’s gait kinematics and kinetics. Objective: We aimed to assess the impact of backpack designs on lumbar extension (LE) and centre of pressure (COP) during walking. Methods: Participants (n = 8; age = 23 ± 2) attended testing sessions to assess a traditional backpack (TBP) and a balance backpack (BBP) against no backpack (NBP) control while walking on three gradients (flat, 0°; incline, 12°; decline, −12°). Walking tests were conducted on a force plate-embedded treadmill with a motion capture system. Statistical tests assessed the effect of a backpack on LE and COP during carriage. Dunnett’s multiple comparison post hoc test identified significant main effects (5% significance). Results: The observed differences in an individual’s LE and COP across all three gradients were statistically (a = 0.05) significantly less when using a BBP compared to a TBP. Conclusion: Comparative analysis revealed that the BBP’s anterior–posterior loading system closely replicated the gait pattern of unloaded walking across the observed gradients. These findings suggest that hikers using a BBP may exhibit a gait resembling unloaded gait in comparison to a TBP gait. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomechanics and Sports Performances (2nd Edition))
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13 pages, 1953 KB  
Article
Associations of Scoring Accuracy with Postural Stability and Strength Measures in Archers on a Standard Archery Site
by Chun-Hao Fan, Chien-Nan Liao and Wei-Hsiu Hsu
Sports 2025, 13(9), 310; https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13090310 - 8 Sep 2025
Viewed by 773
Abstract
Archery performance is substantially influenced by postural stability. Although archery is commonly practiced outdoors, most studies have focused on short-distance indoor environments. Accordingly, this study examined the correlation between postural stability and shooting accuracy in competitive recurve and compound archers on a standard [...] Read more.
Archery performance is substantially influenced by postural stability. Although archery is commonly practiced outdoors, most studies have focused on short-distance indoor environments. Accordingly, this study examined the correlation between postural stability and shooting accuracy in competitive recurve and compound archers on a standard outdoor field (70 m for recurve and 50 m for compound). This study included 37 archers. Each archer’s performance was recorded during a simulated competition. Measurements included muscle strength, body stability, and center of pressure. Postural stability data were analyzed at 0.5 s before and 0.1 s after arrow release. The results indicated that compared with compound archers, recurve archers had stronger upper-limb muscles and exhibited lower pre-release total center of pressure (51.9 mm; p = 0.022) and medial/lateral sway (1.1 mm; p = 0.043). The compound archers exhibited lower post-release anterior/posterior sway (3.2 mm; p = 0.001) and lower angular velocities in most body segments, except for the lower back. The recurve archers relied more on post-release stability, whereas the compound archers relied more on pre-release control. Linear regression analysis identified different predictors of scoring accuracy for each bow type. Our findings highlight the need for discipline-specific training strategies, such as enhancing bow-side stability for recurve archers and drawing-side control for compound archers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomechanics and Sports Performances (2nd Edition))
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11 pages, 2066 KB  
Article
Force Profile Characteristics of Gravitational and Pneumatic Resistances in Pull and Push Exercises
by Manuel Barba-Ruiz, Juan Ramón Heredia-Elvar, Adrián Martín-Castellanos, Javier Iglesias-García and Francisco Hermosilla-Perona
Sports 2025, 13(8), 239; https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13080239 - 22 Jul 2025
Viewed by 608
Abstract
Introduction: Strength training, essential for health and performance, often uses free weights for greater stabilization demands and pulleys for easier load adjustment and progression. Methods: The aim of the study was to analyze the differences in force application using gravitational and pneumatic resistances. [...] Read more.
Introduction: Strength training, essential for health and performance, often uses free weights for greater stabilization demands and pulleys for easier load adjustment and progression. Methods: The aim of the study was to analyze the differences in force application using gravitational and pneumatic resistances. Twenty experienced subjects participated in the study (age: 21.9 ± 3.8 years; body mass: 76.3 ± 9.4 kg; height: 177.4 ± 7.5 cm), performing four exercises with each type of resistance: bench press, lat pulldown, chest fly, and single-arm row. The participants performed 8 repetitions per exercise. Peak and mean force were measured with a 100 Hz load cell (SUIFF S2 Pro) during the concentric phase of the lifts. Differences between resistance types were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and paired t-tests. Results: Peak force was higher with gravitational resistance across all exercises (p < 0.001; d = 2.1–4.7). Average force with gravitational resistance was also higher in the bench press and lat pulldown (p < 0.05; d = 0.7–1.4), but not in the chest fly or single-arm row. Conclusions: Gravitational resistance may better enhance peak strength, while pneumatic resistance supports consistent force and neuromuscular control. These results allow us to select the resistance type based on specific mechanical characteristics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomechanics and Sports Performances (2nd Edition))
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