Search Results (3,649)

The positive impact of strategic self-talk on performance in various sports tasks has been well-documented. Contemporary research has therefore started to explore the potential mechanisms through which self-talk affects performance. The primary purpose of the present study was to examine aspects of the attentional mechanisms underlying performance on a golf putting task, endorsing a psychophysiological perspective through the assessment of Heart-Rate Variability (HRV). Participants were 40 male sport science students, with no prior experience in golf putting, who were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. The experiment was completed over four sessions, including baseline assessment, two training sessions, and final assessment. Participants of both groups followed the same training protocol, with the experimental group practicing strategic self-talk and developing personal self-talk plans for the final assessment. Performance and HRV were recorded during the baseline and final assessments. Repeated measures analysis of variance showed that the experimental group showed greater performance improvement from baseline to final assessment and superior performance compared to the control group at the final assessment. Analysis of the HRV data provided indications that the experimental group showed different patterns of Root Mean Square of Successive Differences (RMSSD) activation at the final assessment, showing a greater activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, in particular towards the latest stages of the golf-putting task. The HRV findings, which should be interpreted with caution due to the lack of multivariate significance, are in line with an attentional interpretation of self-talk effectiveness indicating a less effortful processing. Full article

Background/Objectives: School-age athletes occupy a paradoxical position in the adolescent opioid crisis, combining health-oriented activity with elevated risk of sports-related injury and prescription opioid exposure. In response to the opioid epidemic, states enacted opioid prescribing limit laws (OPLLs) beginning in 2016–2017, yet whether these supply-side policies reached high-risk youth subgroups remains unclear. This study evaluated national temporal trends in prescription opioid misuse among U.S. high school students during the period of OPLL implementation and examined differences across athletic participation, concussion history, sex, grade, race/ethnicity, and substance-use profiles. Methods: Using four biennial waves of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System with a consistent prescription pain-medicine measure (2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023; total N = 44,501), we conducted survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression models producing adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for lifetime prescription opioid misuse, controlling for survey year, sports participation, sex, grade, race/ethnicity, alcohol use, and other illicit drug use. Interaction and stratified models examined differences associated with sports participation, concussion history, demographic characteristics, and substance use. Results: Weighted prescription opioid misuse declined from 13.9% in 2017 to 12.0% in 2023, with a significant unadjusted linear decline per two-year survey wave (OR = 0.936; 95% CI: 0.879–0.997; p = 0.040). This overall trend was attenuated after adjustment (aOR = 0.967; 95% CI: 0.914–1.024; p = 0.248). Temporal patterns differed significantly across race/ethnicity, sex, grade, and selected substance-use groups. White and male students demonstrated significant adjusted linear declines, whereas Hispanic/Latino and female students remained flat. Black/African American students showed significant year-to-year variation, with elevated adjusted odds in 2019 and 2021 relative to 2017. Concussion history was independently associated with misuse among athletes (aOR = 1.645; 95% CI: 1.417–1.909; p < 0.001), with significant associations observed among White, Asian, Black/African American, and Hispanic/Latino athletes. The pooled concussion-by-race/ethnicity interaction, however, was not significant (p = 0.295). Conclusions: Although prescription opioid misuse declined descriptively between 2017 and 2023, adjusted analyses did not identify a significant overall national temporal change. Since subgroup patterns diverged, prevention planning and surveillance should be disaggregated by race/ethnicity and sex rather than guided by national totals, and groups whose misuse did not decline may require strategies extending beyond clinical prescribing controls. Full article

Background and Objectives: Rugby Union is associated with a high incidence of injuries. Although injury epidemiology has been extensively documented internationally, data from Portuguese rugby remain scarce despite the sport’s recent growth and increasing visibility. This study aimed to investigate the incidence, characteristics, and severity of time-loss match injuries, as well as their impact on match availability, in the top tier of Portuguese Rugby Union XV. Materials and Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted during the 2023/2024 Portuguese rugby season. Five of the ten eligible teams competing in the Portuguese Senior Male Rugby Union XV Championship participated in the study. Team medical staff prospectively recorded all time-loss match injuries using a standardized online reporting form. Results: The overall injury incidence was 49.46 injuries per 1000 player-match-hours (95% CI: 39.78–59.68), with a mean injury severity of 12.80 days (SD = 12.17). Lower-limb injuries accounted for 52.2% of all injuries and were associated with the greatest mean time-loss (15.56 days). Bone injuries demonstrated the highest descriptive mean injury severity. However, this finding was based on a small number of cases and should therefore be interpreted with caution. A weak but statistically significant positive correlation was observed between exposure hours and injury severity (r = 0.26, p = 0.011). Conclusions: The findings indicate that injuries in Portuguese top-tier rugby occur predominantly during contact events and in the second half of matches. Lower-limb injuries were the most frequently reported injuries and accounted for the largest proportion of time-loss injuries. Full article

Background and Objectives: Evidence on the acute ergogenic effects of caffeine in adolescent athletes remains limited. This systematic review quantified acute performance-related effects and summarised adverse-event reporting in this population. Methods: PubMed and Web of Science were searched from inception to 13 May 2026 and SPORTDiscus was additionally searched from inception to 15 July 2026 for placebo-controlled studies of acute, dose-defined caffeine ingestion in adolescent athletes aged 10–19 years. Paired Hedges’ g values were synthesised separately across six outcome domains using three-level random-effects models with CR2 cluster-robust inference. Risk of bias and certainty of evidence were assessed using RoB 2 and GRADE. Safety findings were summarised narratively. Results: Thirty-five studies were included, of which 32, representing a total of 726 participants, contributed 363 effect sizes. In the primary analysis, which excluded a priori a small number of extreme combat-sport count-test effects arising from implausibly small reported standard deviations (Hedges’ g > 3.0), caffeine produced a small favourable average effect on physical performance (g = 0.33, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.49). When all effect sizes were included in a sensitivity analysis, the estimate was larger but inflated by these extreme values (g = 0.43, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.67) and was accompanied by substantial heterogeneity (I² = 84%), a prediction interval crossing the null (−0.71 to 1.58), and significant small-study asymmetry. Pooled effects were not statistically significant for sport-specific performance, perceptual response, or physiology. Cognitive findings were based on only two study clusters and were highly uncertain, while psychological outcomes were summarised narratively because the evidence was too sparse and heterogeneous for a meaningful pooled estimate. Exploratory moderator analyses did not provide reliable evidence that effects differed by caffeine dose or ingestion timing. No serious adverse events were reported, but adverse-event assessment was inconsistent. Conclusions: Acute caffeine ingestion may produce a small and uncertain benefit for selected physical-performance tasks in adolescent athletes. Adverse-event reporting was inconsistent, and current evidence is insufficient to support routine caffeine use in youth sport. These findings are specific to acute caffeine exposure under controlled experimental conditions in adolescent athletes and should not be extrapolated to children, non-athlete adolescents, repeated or chronic caffeine use, or energy-drink consumption. Full article

This study aimed to investigate associations between training load (TL) calculated using the OMNI rating of perceived exertion scale (OMNI-RPE) and heart rate (HR) and velocity-derived measures of TL in non-elite adolescent team sport athletes. Fifty-four athletes participated in the study. The study was separated into two parts. In the Part A, twenty athletes completed both an easy and hard version of a simulated team game circuit outdoors on natural turf to replicate performance parameters often used in training. In part B, thirty-four different athletes completed a competitive team game played outdoors on synthetic/natural turf hockey or soccer pitches. For both Parts A and B, session OMNI TL (sOMNI-TL) was derived as a product of the session OMNI-RPE and session duration, and was correlated to Edward’s Training Impulse (TRIMP) and time spent in 0–25%, 25–50%, 50–70% and >70% peak velocity. Low-to-moderate correlations were observed between sOMNI-TL and Edwards TRIMP (r = 0.18–0.20) and velocity measures (r = 0.05–0.42) for Part A. Larger correlations were observed between sOMNI-TL and Edwards TRIMP (r = 0.53, p < 0.05) and velocity measures (r = 0.36–0.51, p < 0.05) for part B. The hypothesis that sOMNI-TL would show significant, moderate associations with heart rate and velocity-derived training load in both simulated and game conditions was only partially supported, and the results of this study do not support its use as a stand-alone measure in a practical setting. Full article

Background/Objectives: Valid and culturally adapted instruments are essential for accurately assessing sports nutrition knowledge among coaches, given their influential role in shaping athletes’ dietary behaviors and performance outcomes. This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Nutrition for Sport Knowledge Questionnaire (NSKQ) for Greek certified coaches, while also examining knowledge levels and associated demographic factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 514 certified coaches representing various sports disciplines. The translation followed a standardized forward–backward procedure with expert panel review to ensure cultural relevance. The psychometric properties of the NSKQ-Gr were evaluated using complementary Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Rasch approaches. Item difficulty, item discrimination, Kuder–Richardson Formula 20 (KR-20), McDonald’s omega, and confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) using the WLSMV estimator for dichotomous items were performed. Test–retest reliability was examined via Pearson’s correlation coefficient and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Statistical analyses explored associations between nutrition knowledge and demographic and professional characteristics. Results: Item discrimination varied across domains; the strongest performance was observed for the Alcohol domain and the weakest for Weight Management and Sports Nutrition. KR-20 and McDonald’s omega indicated moderate internal consistency for most domains, apart from Weight Management and Sports Nutrition, the reliability of which was lower. The temporal stability was excellent (ICC = 0.998). CFA findings were heterogeneous across domains, whereas Rasch analyses showed generally acceptable item-level fit. Most coaches demonstrated average (56.8%) or poor (32.3%) sports nutrition knowledge. Good or excellent knowledge was demonstrated by only 10.9% of the participants. Knowledge scores differed according to age, certification pathway, previous athletic experience, and several nutrition-related coaching practices. Conclusions: The NSKQ-Gr provides a useful multidomain instrument for assessing sports nutrition knowledge among Greek coaches. The present study extends previous validation work by providing complementary evidence from CTT, CFA, and Rasch modeling, thereby offering a more comprehensive psychometric evaluation of the NSKQ-Gr. The findings indicate that the NSKQ-Gr is a multidomain knowledge assessment instrument suitable for Greek coaches. Future validation studies are encouraged to further refine its psychometric properties. Full article

Physical education (PE) is commonly justified through its contributions to physical fitness, motor skill development, sport participation, and health-enhancing physical activity. These aims remain important, but they do not fully capture PE’s potential as a curriculum context for lifestyle learning and neurobehavioral well-being. This narrative review used structured literature mapping and conceptual framework development to examine how PE may connect embodied movement experiences with motivation, stress and emotion regulation, self-efficacy, resilience, recovery-related awareness, and lifestyle self-regulation in adolescents and young adults. Literature searches were conducted iteratively in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, SPORTDiscus, and ERIC, with the final search update completed on 20 June 2026. The synthesis identified a curriculum-to-lifestyle gap: existing evidence more often examines whether PE, physical activity, sport, or physical literacy is associated with health or psychological outcomes than how curriculum, teaching climate, reflection, assessment, and peer interaction may support transferable self-regulatory learning. The review therefore proposes an evidence-informed, curriculum-oriented conceptual framework linking PE design and pedagogy with proximal motivational, emotional, cognitive-regulatory, behavioral, and embodied processes. The framework does not imply that PE automatically improves mental health, directly produces neurobiological change, or replaces specialist care. Evidence is stronger for proximal educational processes than for sustained transfer beyond PE. Future research should test clearly specified curriculum mechanisms, implementation conditions, assessment approaches, and longitudinal transfer. Full article

Objective. This study examined suicidal ideation, preferred help-seeking sources, and knowledge of prevention strategies among collegiate athletes, and whether training influences stigma or knowledge. Methods. Collegiate athletes (N = 78), aged 18+ and participating in NCAA DI, DII, or DIII sports, were recruited via social media and email. Participants completed self-report measures on suicide, prevention training, and help-seeking. Results. A total of 39.7% reported lifetime suicidal ideation, yet only 35.8% had received suicide prevention training in college. Teammates (46.9%) and parents/guardians (40.7%) were the most commonly endorsed sources of support. Those who received training did not differ in stigma levels or knowledge of supportive actions compared to untrained peers. Conclusions. Collegiate athletes report high rates of suicidal ideation but limited access to effective prevention training. Moreover, current training may not improve stigma or knowledge. Efforts should focus on improving and expanding suicide prevention education within athletic programs. Full article

This exploratory study examined students’ acute responses in soccer performance, executive functions, and calibration accuracy to a single soccer session delivered using three different teaching styles (i.e., command, practice, and self-check) in physical education. One hundred and forty-seven students of four elementary schools attending four fifth-grade (80 students) and four sixth-grade (67 students) classes participated in the study. Two classes (one fifth- and one sixth-grade) from each elementary school were randomly assigned to one of the four groups of the study (i.e., self-check style, command style, practice style, and control group). Students in all experimental groups were taught the soccer-passing skill in a single 45 min session using identical activities and drills but different teaching styles. Control-group students attended a classroom-based session on the ancient Olympic Games. Students were pre- and post-tested in soccer-pass performance, estimation of soccer-pass performance, and design fluency test. Students in the self-check group demonstrated more favorable changes in inhibition and cognitive flexibility than students in the command- and practice-style groups, whereas students in the practice group also showed improvements in cognitive flexibility over time. No differences between groups were found in calibration accuracy. For soccer performance, although students in the self-check group improved from pre- to post-test, nonsignificant differences between groups were observed. The findings reflected students’ immediate responses under different instructional conditions during a single soccer session, rather than outcomes of the longitudinal learning process. These results are discussed in relation to the cognitive and metacognitive aspects of learning and performing sports skills in physical education, with particular emphasis on how students responded to different teaching styles. Full article

Proxy indicators have been proposed as practical screening tools to assess low energy availability (LEA) risk among athletes. We evaluated the utility of the Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire (LEAF-Q), resting metabolic rate (RMR) ratio, and relative RMR (rRMR) in identifying LEA risk compared with estimated energy availability (EA). Twenty mixed-sport female athletes (24.8 ± 4.8 years) participated in this cross-sectional study. EA was estimated using four-day food and activity logs. LEAF-Q scores were obtained via questionnaires. RMR was measured via indirect calorimetry while predicted RMR was calculated using the 1980 Cunningham equation. RMR ratio was computed using measured RMR over predicted value, and rRMR computed using measured RMR over fat-free mass (FFM), as assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Participants were classified ‘at risk’ of LEA based on LEAF-Q score ≥8, RMR ratio <0.90, and rRMR <30 kcal/kg FFM/day. RMR-derived measures displayed high sensitivity (100%) and low specificity (44.4%), while LEAF-Q exhibited low sensitivity (27.3%) and moderate specificity (55.6%). EA was moderately correlated with RMR ratio (r = 0.47, p = 0.035) and strongly correlated with rRMR (r = 0.63, p = 0.003). RMR-based measures may be promising rapid screening tools for LEA risk in mixed-sport female athletes. Full article

This empirical study positions hotel-based sport wellness programs as structured physical activity offerings embedded in co-created guest experiences in luxury hotels in Saudi Arabia. It examines how the quality of wellness sports programs relates to guests’ satisfaction with the program, loyalty intentions toward the hotel, and self-reported physical activity orientation and intention. The construct is operationalized as guests’ perceived increase in activity during the stay and their stated intention to maintain or increase activity afterward. The study also tests the mediating roles of perceived health benefits and enjoyment, as well as the moderating role of staff health communication. Drawing on service quality and expectancy disconfirmation perspectives, together with health belief and motor learning insights, a cross-sectional survey was conducted with 412 guests who had participated in structured sport-based wellness sessions during their stay in Saudi Arabian luxury hotels. Data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS SEM). Wellness sport program quality was positively associated with perceived health benefits, enjoyment, and program satisfaction, and both perceived health benefits and enjoyment partially mediated the quality satisfaction relationship, indicating parallel cognitive and affective pathways in the guest experience. Program satisfaction, in turn, was positively associated with guests’ loyalty intentions and their self-reported orientation toward maintaining healthier physical activity routines after their stay, while staff health communication significantly strengthened the association between program quality and perceived health benefits. These results contribute to wellness tourism and hospitality research by integrating sport pedagogy and health communication into an experience-centric framework and by clarifying how hotel-based sport wellness offerings can support satisfaction, loyalty, and self-reported physical activity orientation in an emerging tourism destination. Practical implications are offered for hotel managers seeking to design human-centered, health-oriented wellness services aligned with Vision 2030 and global physical activity promotion agendas, recognizing that the findings represent perception-based associations that are a promising foundation for future longitudinal and behavioral research. Full article

Background/Objectives: Physical activity in primary school is increasingly recognized not only for developing skill-related fitness, but also for promoting well-being, motivation, and awareness of individual abilities. However, studies integrating quantitative performance data with qualitative perceptual data in school settings remain limited. This study aimed to explore the associations between objectively measured motor competence and students’ perceptions of enjoyment, motivation, and perceived competence during primary school physical education. Methods: This observational pilot study involved 17 students (mean age: 10.6 ± 0.5 years). The quantitative assessment included the Yo-Yo Test for intermittent endurance and the Sargent Test for lower-limb explosive strength, along with anthropometric measurements (mean height: 1.44 ± 0.09 m; mean weight: 39.9 ± 6.3 kg). A dichotomous (yes/no) questionnaire assessed enjoyment, motivation, perceived competence, and interest in physical activity. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Shapiro–Wilk test, Pearson’s correlation, and the Chi-square test. Results: Significant correlations emerged between height and body weight (r = 0.667; p = 0.003) and between body weight and Sargent Test performance (r = 0.544; p = 0.024). Biological sex was also significantly correlated with body weight (r = −0.562; p = 0.019). The Chi-square analysis showed significant associations between motivation and positive perception of physical activity (p < 0.05), particularly regarding sports participation and peer-related engagement. Conclusions: Despite differences in motor performance, students’ perceptions of physical activity were generally positive. Anthropometric characteristics influenced performance, while motivational and social factors were strongly associated with participation. Integrating performance and perceptual data provides a more comprehensive understanding of psychophysical development during school age. Full article

Background: Sports training induces functional and structural adaptations that may influence body composition, particularly during adolescence when growth and maturation are still occurring. Although anthropometric characteristics have been extensively studied within individual sports, comparative analyses among different sport categories remain limited. The aim of this study was to compare body composition characteristics among athletes participating in individual, team, and combat sports within a Spanish Sports Technification Program. Methods: A total of 118 young athletes (62 males and 56 females) from the Valencian Sports Technification Centre participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants were classified into three sport categories: individual sports (athletics, swimming, and triathlon), team sports (handball and volleyball), and combat sports (karate and taekwondo). Anthropometric assessment was performed according to the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK) protocol. Body composition variables, including fat mass, muscle mass, and bone mass, were estimated using established anthropometric equations. Statistical analyses were performed using non-parametric tests, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: After adjustment for multiple comparisons, significant differences remained between sport categories for several body composition indicators. Athletes from the individual sport group showed a higher muscle mass percentage and lower body fat percentages estimated using the Withers, Faulkner, and Carter equations than those from the team sport group. Similarly, estimated body fat percentages were lower in the individual sport group than in the combat sport group across all three equations. Team sport athletes presented higher absolute fat and muscle mass than combat sport athletes. However, some differences identified in the initial analyses, including fat mass and bone mass percentage between the individual and team sport groups and muscle mass percentage between the team and combat sport groups, did not remain statistically significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons. Conclusions: Body composition characteristics differed among the groups of young athletes participating in the specific individual, team, and combat sports included in this study. Within this cohort, athletes from the individual sport group generally exhibited lower body fat levels than those from the team and combat sport groups, whereas differences were also observed in other anthropometric characteristics. These findings should be interpreted within the context of the specific sports included and should not be generalized to individual, team, or combat sports as a whole. The findings may assist coaches, sports scientists, and health professionals in the monitoring and development of young athletes participating in similar sports and development programs. Full article

Background/Objectives: Dance is a unique and physically demanding athletic art form that necessitates optimal nutritional intake for performance and long-term health. Nutrition knowledge (NK) is an essential factor that drives dietary behaviours and attitudes of athletes and performers, including dancers. Despite its importance, there appears to be limited research investigating the NK of dancers. This scoping review therefore aims to systematically explore the currently published literature on the NK of dancers globally, to understand the current levels of nutrition knowledge and gaps in knowledge as well as related dietary behaviours and inform future research and resource development for this population. Methods: Four electronic databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, PubMed, and Web of Science) were searched in June 2026 for articles. Eligibility criteria included: Original research published in peer-reviewed journals between 2000–2025. Only English language studies reporting on the NK (general, sports, specific) of dancers were included. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) was followed. Results: Of the 58 studies initially identified, a total of nine studies were included. All were quantitative and either cross-sectional (n = 5) or intervention (n = 4) studies. Data was collated from six countries with a total of 942 participants, and NK was directly assessed in all of the reviewed papers. The methodological quality and bias were assessed using the “Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Quality Criteria Checklist for Primary Research” tool. Study designs and tools used to assess NK were heterogenous. Overall, dancers demonstrated low-to-moderate NK, with gaps in knowledge surrounding macronutrient composition of foods, and exhibited restrictive dietary patterns and body image concerns. Reliance on non-expert information sources was prevalent. Interventions designed to improve NK and related dietary behaviours showed positive impacts. Conclusions: Dancers’ NK is low-to-moderate, with suboptimal dietary behaviours, often driven by aesthetic pressures and a reliance on informal nutrition advice. Given the success of interventions to improve NK, future research should focus on targeted nutrition education strategies, focused on identified NK gaps for optimising dancers’ health, performance, and long-term well-being. Full article