Search Results (286)

Muscle–joint flexibility is defined as the ability of a muscle to stretch in a controlled manner, allowing a wide range of movement at the joints. While numerous methodologies exist for improving flexibility, few studies have investigated the role of athletes’ perceptual processes and awareness related to their own body and movement control during such training. In this pilot study, we explored how two different training protocols—static and dynamic stretching (control group, CON) and multi-joint resistance training (experimental group, EXP)—influence both flexibility and psychophysical awareness, understood as a multidimensional construct involving perceived flexibility improvements, self-assessed control over exercise execution, and cognitive-emotional responses such as engagement, motivation, and satisfaction during physical effort. The study involved 24 male amateur track-and-field athletes (mean age 23 ± 2.5 years), randomized into two equal groups. Over 12 weeks, both groups trained three times per week. Flexibility was assessed using the Sit and Reach Test at three time points (pre-, mid-, and post-intervention). A 2 × 3 mixed ANOVA revealed a significant group × time interaction (F = 20.17, p < 0.001), with the EXP group showing greater improvements than the CON group. In the EXP group, Sit and Reach scores increased from pre = 28.55 cm (SD = 4.91) to mid = 29.39 cm (SD = 4.67) and post = 29.48 cm (SD = 4.91), with a significant difference between pre and post (p = 0.01; d = 0.35). The CON group showed minimal changes, with scores of pre = 28.66 cm (SD = 4.92), mid = 28.76 cm (SD = 5.03), and post = 28.84 cm (SD = 5.10), and no significant difference between pre and post (p = 0.20; d = 0.04). Psychophysical awareness was assessed using a custom questionnaire structured on a 5-point Likert scale, with items addressing perception of flexibility, motor control, and exercise-related bodily sensations. The questionnaire showed excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.92). Within the EXP group, psychophysical awareness increased significantly (from 3.50 to 4.17; p = 0.01; d = 0.38), while no significant change occurred in the CON group (p = 0.16). Post-hoc power analysis confirmed small to moderate effect sizes within the EXP group, although between-group differences lacked sufficient statistical power. These results suggest that resistance training may improve flexibility and concurrently enhance athletes’ psychophysical self-awareness more effectively than traditional stretching. Such findings offer practical implications for coaches seeking to optimize flexibility training by integrating alternative methods that promote both physical and perceptual adaptations. Full article

Background: This study aimed to compare the immediate effects of small-sided games (SSGs) and running-based high-intensity interval training (HIITrb) on serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, cognitive performance, and enjoyment in young, male soccer players. Methods: Twenty-four soccer players [age: 19.2 ± 0.8 years] completed one session each of four-a-side SSG or HIITrb in a randomized, counterbalanced, and crossover design, with a one-week washout period. Blood samples and Trail Making Tests (TMTs) A and B were measured before and after exercise. Heart rate (HR) was monitored throughout the games, and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and enjoyment were collected at the end of the measurements. Results: The results show no significant effects of time (p > 0.775), group (p > 0.276) or time × group interaction (p > 0.199) on BDNF levels. For TMT-A, the time effect (p = 0.866) and group effect (p = 0.057) were not significant; however, the time × group interaction was significant (p < 0.019), indicating a superior performance in the SSG compared to HIITrb. In the TMT-B, significant effects were observed for both time (p < 0.001) and group (p < 0.001), while the time × group interaction effect was not statistically significant (p > 0.061). Furthermore, enjoyment levels did not differ significantly between conditions (p = 0.976). Conclusions: These findings suggest that four-a-side SSG may enhance processing speed compared to HIITrb without changes in serum BDNF levels. Coaches may consider using 4v4 SSG formats in early training sessions or warm-ups to stimulate processing speed and mental readiness in young soccer players. Full article

The rapid proliferation of wearable sensors and advanced tracking technologies has revolutionized data collection in elite sports, enabling continuous monitoring of athletes’ physiological and biomechanical states. This study proposes a comprehensive big data analytics framework that integrates data acquisition, processing, analytics, and decision support, demonstrated through synthetic datasets in football, basketball, and athletics case scenarios, modeled to represent typical data patterns and decision-making workflows observed in elite sport environments. Analytical methods, including gradient boosting classifiers, logistic regression, and multilayer perceptron models, were employed to predict injury risk, optimize in-game tactical decisions, and personalize sprint mechanics training. Key results include a 12% reduction in hamstring injury rates in football, a 16% improvement in clutch decision-making accuracy in basketball, and an 8% decrease in 100 m sprint times among athletes. The framework’s visualization tools and alert systems supported actionable insights for coaches and medical staff. Challenges such as data quality, privacy compliance, and model interpretability are addressed, with future research focusing on edge computing, federated learning, and augmented reality integration for enhanced real-time feedback. This study demonstrates the potential of integrated big data analytics to transform sports performance optimization, offering a reproducible and ethically sound platform for advancing personalized, data-driven athlete management. Full article

Background: This study aimed to develop a method to analyze the kinetic and kinematic characteristics of the traditional karate Gyaku Tsuki (reverse punch), focusing on the activation sequence of lower and upper extremities and trunk muscles during execution. Methods: An elite male (N = 1) karate athlete (in kata) performed 20 Gyaku Tsuki punches while equipped with 16 wireless surface EMG sensors integrated with 3-axis accelerometers. The five punches with the highest forearm acceleration were selected for analysis. EMG, accelerometer, and synchronized video data were recorded and processed. Results: A novel visualization technique was developed to represent muscle activation over time, distinguishing a spectrum of 0–25–50–75–100% activation levels. Muscle activation times for arm, leg, and trunk muscles ranged from −0.31 to −0.11 s relative to punch execution, indicating rapid, coordinated muscle engagement. Conclusions: This method enables detailed analysis of muscle activation patterns in karate punches. It offers valuable insights for biomechanics researchers and practical applications for coaches aiming to enhance performance and prevent injuries through better understanding of movement dynamics. Full article

Human Digital Twins are an emerging type of Digital Twin used in healthcare to provide personalized support. Following this trend, we intend to elevate our virtual fitness coach, a coaching platform using wearable data on physical activity, to the level of a personalized Human Digital Twin. Preliminary investigations revealed a significant difference in performance, as measured by prediction accuracy and F1-score, between the optimal choice of machine learning algorithms for generalized and personalized processing of the available data. Based on these findings, this survey aims to establish the state of the art in the selection and application of machine learning algorithms in Human Digital Twin applications in healthcare. The survey reveals that, unlike general machine learning applications, there is a limited body of literature on optimization and the application of meta-learning in personalized Human Digital Twin solutions. As a conclusion, we provide direction for further research, formulated in the following research question: how can the optimization of human data feature engineering and personalized model selection be achieved in Human Digital Twins and can techniques such as meta-learning be of use in this context? Full article

Esports is a global industry, with coaches widely regarded as having a pivotal role in facilitating player development and enhancing performance. Despite this, limited research has investigated the developmental experiences of esports coaches and how they are valued by diverse stakeholder groups. Consequently, the aim of this research is to explore global stakeholders’ perspectives towards the developmental experiences of esports coaches. Data were collected via a qualitative online survey completed by 98 participants, representing 28 nationalities, across six esports stakeholder groups (head coach, assistant coach, player, team manager, performance staff, analyst). Following a reflexive thematic analysis process, three themes were generated: (1) Speaking the same language: the importance of playing and knowing the game; (2) Walking the walk: the need for coaching experience to demonstrate competency; and (3) Formal professional learning and development: a bone of contention. By understanding how diverse stakeholders value different developmental experiences, the findings offer unique insights into the contested nature of coach development in esports. This research contributes to the esports coaching literature and provides a foundation for future empirical research into this emerging area, with recommendations and implications for esports coach education and practice discussed. Full article

Trauma cognitions have been widely supported as a mechanism of change in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment. Less is known about the mediating role of trauma cognitions in early interventions addressing PTSD symptoms and co-occurring conditions such as alcohol misuse. This study was a secondary analysis of data collected as part of a pilot randomized clinical trial of a single session intervention and four coaching calls (BRITE), adapted from Cognitive Processing Therapy for survivors of a sexual assault that occurred in the past 10 weeks. Fifty-seven adult female-identifying individuals with symptoms of PTSD and alcohol misuse randomized to either intervention or symptom monitoring completed the assessments of PTSD severity, alcohol use, and trauma cognitions at intake, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up. Mixed-effects models showed trauma cognitions improved significantly in the BRITE condition but did not change in the symptom monitoring condition (b = −1.53, p < 0.001, B = −1.05). Mediation analyses indicated that change in total trauma cognitions and self-blame cognitions did not have a significant indirect effect on the association between condition and PTSD symptoms and average drinks on drinking days, and the proportion mediated was small for PTSD symptoms and average drinks. Preliminary findings indicate reductions in negative trauma cognitions for the BRITE condition, but this is likely one of several factors that play a role in changes in PTSD symptoms and alcohol use in the early recovery period following sexual assault. Full article

Background: Blind 5-a-side soccer is an intermittent sport that requires the integration of physiological and physical processes, where body composition (BC) is an influential and differentiating factor of the sporting level, according to the conclusions of some studies. However, to date, no systematic review has been reported comparing BC in players with visual impairment. Objectives: The aims of this study were to systematically synthesize the existing evidence on differences in anthropometric characteristics and body composition among blind 5-a-side football players according to playing position and to derive practical recommendations for researchers and coaches. Methods: The following databases were consulted: PubMed (Medline), Scopus, Web of Science, and Science. This systematic review uses the guidelines of the PRISMA declaration and the guidelines for conducting systematic reviews in sports science. PICO strategy was used for the selection and inclusion of studies in the present work, with a series of inclusion and exclusion criteria. The quality was methodologically assessed using the PEDro scale. Results: The 10 studies comprising this systematic review had a total sample size of 168 athletes. The main findings of this research were (1) the somatotype of blind 5-a-side soccer players tends toward meso-endomorphic; (2) there are differences in the variables of muscle mass, fat mass, and body weight in response to playing position and sporting level; (3) the players present a somatotypical profile with a predominance of the mesomorph component. Conclusions: The results of this review reveal a tendency to define BW as influencing the athletic performance of blind 5-a-side soccer players. However, it is not conclusive whether these improvements occur in response to each playing position. More studies are needed to analyze the effect of BW on athletic performance, especially when correlating BW with other physical, nutritional, technical, and tactical variables in training and competition. Full article

Participatory action research (PAR) has been increasingly used in sport for development research due to its potential to challenge hegemonic forms of knowledge production within sport contexts. Drawing on the youth and feminist action literature, we explore the methodological and ethical challenges of conducting participatory research as young academic researchers collaborating with young coaches as community collaborators. This article calls for greater transparency in how researchers conduct YPAR, whether it is youth-centred or youth-led, and underscores the utility of a feminist lens and trauma- and violence-informed framework in grounding critical reflexivity throughout the research process. These contributions aim to advance ethically grounded, trauma-informed action research projects with young people in sport and physical activity settings. Full article

In the swimming context, practitioners show difficulties in learning its basic skills, and the emotional factor seems to be one of the triggers for these complications, with “fear” standing out as one of the most studied emotions due to its cognitive reactive nature associated with survival mechanisms. This emotional response can hinder the learning process in swimming, potentially leading to disengagement or dropout. The present study aimed to analyze the causes that lead to fear of the aquatic environment, its effects on learning swimming, and how swimming coaches can intervene to help overcome this fear. Direct observation was used to capture the individuals’ perception of the degree of fear. Subsequently, semi-structured interviews were conducted to analyze an intervention aimed at reducing the fear of water, followed by a corresponding content analysis. The fear of water is commonly associated with anxiety, panic, and muscle tension. The role of the swimming instructor is crucial, as their teaching approach significantly influences the swimmer’s emotional response, particularly in fostering a sense of security. The use of playful activities proves effective in helping children adapt, overcoming the limitations posed by the fear of water. Recognizing students’ fears allows instructors to structure swimming lessons effectively, helping students overcome their emotional barriers. Therefore, introducing children to the aquatic environment at an early age contributes to this goal. Full article

The relative age effect (RAE) refers to the advantage often observed in sports selection processes, where athletes born earlier in the calendar year are favored over those born later. While the RAE has been widely studied in various sports, little is known about its presence in rhythmic gymnastics (RG), a female-dominated esthetic sport characterized by early specialization. This study investigated the presence of the RAE among elite rhythmic gymnasts (RGs) at the international level, focusing on differences in birth quarter distribution across age categories and performance levels. The sample included 578 RGs—356 juniors and 222 seniors—competing in individual and group events. Birthdates were categorized into four quartiles (Q1–Q4). Chi-square goodness-of-fit tests and standardized residuals as post hoc tests were used to analyze the RAE. No significant RAE was found in the overall sample or when analyzed by geographic region (p > 0.05). However, a significant under-representation in Q4 occurred for Group RGs (SR = −2.17), and among all juniors (SR = −2.54) (χ²[3, 356] = 9.833, p < 0.05, w = 0.17), particularly in the subgroup of 15-year-old gymnasts, who were over-represented in Q3 (SR = 2.55; χ²[3, 183] = 10.027, p < 0.05, w = 0.23). Finalists—especially those in group events—also showed a higher proportion of Q3 athletes and a lower proportion of those born in Q4. Among junior finalists, Q4 was significantly under-represented (p < 0.05). These novel sport-specific findings suggest the presence of an atypical RAE pattern in RG, particularly in younger age groups and among high-performing athletes. RG coaches and policymakers should consider alternative selection models and adapt training approaches for Q4-born gymnasts in order to prevent early deselection. Full article

(1) Background: Adolescent health and well-being are associated with sports and physical education activities. Novel therapies for athletics training, sporting formations, and physical culture are important. In areas where sports facilities are scarce and not cost-effective, they can lead to poorer physical and mental well-being in adolescents. Emotions related to sports, somatic anxiety, worry, and concentration disruption aligned with task and ego orientation have been under-researched in Pakistan. (2) Methods: A sample of 830 adolescents between the ages of 14 and 19 years were recruited from Pakistan’s sports training center through purposive sampling. Sport-specific emotions, anxiety, task and ego orientation, and coaching athlete purpose (CAP) were measured. (3) Results: Regression analysis showed that different dimensions of sports anxiety (somatic trait anxiety, worry, and concentration disruption) have a significant effect on the task and ego orientation of sports education students. The Hayes process macro analysis shows that CAP significantly mediates between sports emotions and orientation. (4) Conclusions: It is important to introduce Rational Emotive Behavior Coaching and integrate ontological health and well-being for coaching in the sports field. Full article

This paper outlines a new system for processing of eye-tracking data in basketball live games with two pre-trained Artificial Intelligence (AI) models. blueThe system is designed to process and extract features from data of basketball coaches and referees, recorded with the Pupil Labs Neon Eye Tracker, a device that is specifically optimized for video analysis. The research aims to present a tool useful for understanding their visual attention patterns during the game, what they are attending to, for how long, and their physiological responses, blueas is evidenced through pupil size changes. AI models are used to monitor events and actions within the game and correlate these with eye-tracking data to provide understanding into referees’ and coaches’ cognitive processes and decision-making. This research contributes to the knowledge of sport psychology and performance analysis by introducing the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based eye-tracking analysis in sport with wearable technology and light neural networks that are capable of running in real time. Full article

In healthcare, there is growing awareness of the potential harm that disciplinary processes can have on employees, service delivery, and organizational culture. However, little attention has been given to the impact on those responsible for conducting these investigations. This study examines investigator harm through a cross-sectional survey, simultaneously collecting qualitative and quantitative data from 71 participants across 10 NHS Wales organizations. The findings indicate that investigators experience harm when conducting employee investigations. While those with more experience perceive themselves as better prepared to follow the formal steps of the disciplinary policy and process, their ability to prevent harm to themselves or others remains unchanged. Additionally, more experienced investigators are not more aware of their organization’s well-being priorities or strategies for mitigating harm. These findings highlight the need for greater support for investigators, including coaching and post-investigation debriefing. Training should raise awareness of the impact of employee investigations on all stakeholders and the importance of applying disciplinary policy and processes empathically. Finally, policies and processes should acknowledge the harm they may cause and explicitly provide strategies for harm reduction, such as treating formal investigations as a measure of ‘last resort’. Full article

As the US population ages, the number of prescriptions managed by patients and healthcare teams is increasing. Thus, discontinuing or reducing medications that are considered to pose more risks than benefits can be achieved through deprescribing. Despite increasing calls for a stronger focus on deprescribing in healthcare education, current discussions highlight the lack of training on this topic within healthcare curricula. This is a significant barrier to effectively implementing the deprescribing process. This study aimed to characterize healthcare professional students (HPSs)’s perspectives on deprescribing within an interprofessional healthcare team, particularly regarding the motivations and roles of these future practitioners. Methods: Focus groups were conducted with HPSs at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. The data collection, guided by a conceptual model, took place over three months in 2022. Data analysis was performed using thematic analysis, during which themes were identified through inductive coding. Results: Participants (n = 36) represented various faculties, including medicine, pharmacy, health professions, nursing, and dentistry. Two themes emerged: (1) Healthcare Team Members’ Roles and Responsibilities (2) “Put Me in, Coach”: Patient Safety Motivates Deprescribing. Conclusion: Data from HPSs highlighted the importance of an interprofessional healthcare team approach to deprescribing. Based on these insights, educators and practitioners should focus on establishing strong interprofessional healthcare teams that privilege open communication. Teams should consider deprescribing as a patient safety concern, as this may galvanize the team and provide additional motivation for performing the necessary work of deprescribing. Full article