Frontiers in Sports and Active Living最新文献

This research examined how the Five-Factor Model (Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism) acts upon professional basketball players, exploring in addition whether these personality traits differ among playing position or levels of experience. A sample frame of 116 male professional players participating in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 qualification was utilized. Personality traits were assessed using the 41-item Goldberg inventory, while performance was determined through a customized Player Efficiency index based on multiple linear regression analysis of core game statistics (Points, Rebounds, Assists, and Steals). The results indicated statistically Extraversion (α ≤ 0.05); no significant association was found for Agreeableness and Neuroticism. Even though significant differences were found by playing position for Agreeableness, only guards scored less than forwards and centers. Across levels of experience, there were significant differences for Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, and Neuroticism. Players with more than ten years of experience had higher Openness and Conscientiousness and were lower on Neuroticism than players with five years of experience or less. Overall, the findings suggest that important personality traits-especially openness, self-discipline, and social engagement-can contribute powerfully to basketball performance. These results demonstrate the potential for integrating personality assessment into talent identification, player development programs, and team-building processes in elite basketball settings.

Introduction: The spatial distribution of sports tourism projects in China exhibits significant regional disparities, creating challenges associated with efficient resource utilisation and equitable development.

Methods: In this study, we applied kernel density estimation, spatial autocorrelation analysis, and the geographic detector to examine the spatial patterns and driving factors of STPs across the country systematically.

Results: The results reveal an uneven distribution of STPs, with the Yangtze River Delta and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region identified as the two core areas with the highest density. Natural STPs are more widely distributed, whereas cultural STPs are primarily concentrated in economically developed regions. Factor detection reveals that economic and fiscal variables serve as dominant drivers and that the balance of deposits in financial institutions, general public budget expenditures, and tertiary industry operating income exert the greatest explanatory power, whereas transportation and environmental indicators are less influential.

Discussion: These findings highlight the combined effects of natural endowments, cultural resources, and institutional support on sports tourism development. This study advances the theoretical understanding of STP spatial dynamics and provides practical insights for optimising resource allocation, narrowing regional disparities, and promoting the sustainable growth of China's sports tourism industry.

This study examined acute neuromuscular, biochemical, and subjective fatigue responses to two strength training protocols-back squats with calf raises vs. back squats with plyometric exercises-in elite youth soccer players. The aim was to track the progression and resolution of fatigue over a 72 h recovery period and evaluate the practical feasibility of both protocols within high-performance training schedules. Thirty-two male athletes from a national youth elite training center participated in a crossover-controlled study. Each player completed both interventions, separated by an 8-day washout period. A comprehensive test battery assessed neuromuscular performance via the countermovement jump (CMJ), drop jump, isometric mid-thigh pull, adductor squeeze, and sit-and-reach test; biochemical markers via creatine kinase (CK); and subjective markers using the Hooper Index, visual analog scale (VAS), and session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE). Measurements were taken at baseline and 24, 48, and 72 h post-exercise. No significant interaction effects (training modality × time) were found (p > 0.05), indicating comparable fatigue and recovery trajectories for both protocols, whereas significant main effects of time were observed across all parameters, including CMJ [F(3,26) = 29.373, p < 0.001, η ² = 0.772] and CK [F(3,26) = 51.504, p < 0.001, η ² = 0.856]. Fatigue peaked between 24 and 48 h post-exercise and returned to baseline by 72 h. Subjective fatigue (Hooper, VAS) mirrored objective markers. Both traditional and reactive strength training induced short-term fatigue that resolved within 72 h, supporting their safe implementation in elite youth training programs, provided adequate recovery is allowed between sessions.

Background: Stretching is essential for maintaining overall health and is a key component of warm-up routines for well-trained individuals and athletes. The most commonly used stretching methods include static stretching (SS), dynamic stretching (DS), and ballistic stretching (BS). However, there is still an ongoing debate in the literature regarding which method is most effective, particularly with the growing interest in approaches that target myofascial chains rather than isolated muscle groups. In this context, the present study introduces a novel dynamic stretching protocol based on myofascial chains, designed to be incorporated into the warm-up routines of well-trained adults. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of this innovative protocol on mobility, balance, heart rate, lactate levels, and jumping performance.

Methods: Nineteen well-trained men without sport-specific training were recruited for the experiment. The protocol consisted of three sessions, each differing in the activities performed between pre- and post-functional tests. On the first day, no activities (NA) were conducted. On the second and third days, participants were split into two groups, with one performing SS and the other following the novel DS routine. During each session, four functional tests were conducted: an incremental treadmill Run Test (RT), single-leg balance tests for both legs, repeated countermovement jumps, and joint mobility assessments.

Results: The results indicated that both the innovative DS and SS protocols significantly improved joint mobility (p-values ranging from <0.001 to 0.049) and increased heart rate (p-values from <0.001 to 0.036). However, only DS led to a significant improvement in jump height (p = 0.026), whereas SS was associated with better balance, which was not observed in DS.

Conclusions: These findings support the effectiveness of the novel dynamic stretching protocol, particularly as a warm-up strategy when explosive and reactive performance is required.

We propose an AI-based tool to predict and monitor Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for player's activity such as running distance and speed from wearable devices. These KPIs serve as proxies for intensity and fatigue levels in professional athletes. Applied to a women's professional handball team competing at the EHF Champions League level, our model helps predict player workload and physiological stress, enabling accurate monitoring of player condition. By combining predictive accuracy with explainability methods, our tool not only forecasts fatigue and intensity metrics but also provides actionable insights for coaching staff to optimize training and lineup strategies. This work demonstrates the potential of advanced machine learning methods and can be extended to the prediction of any physiological KPI to support handball performance monitoring.

This study rigorously compares the perceptions and operational differences of generalist teachers within two distinct national tandem teaching models in primary Physical Education (PE): the rotational sports coach-generalist teacher model in Slovakia and the sustained PE specialist-generalist teacher model in North Macedonia. The research examines implementation quality, systematic support, task division, benefits, and challenges. A questionnaire was completed by 618 generalist teachers from Slovakia (n = 314) and North Macedonia (n = 304). This comparative study utilized a cross-sectional design with a self-administered questionnaire, employing descriptive statistics, t-tests for mean comparisons, and Chi-square tests with Cramér's V to quantify effect sizes for categorical associations. Both countries exhibited a similarly high overall positive perception of the tandem concept (p = 0.240). However, North Macedonian teachers reported significantly better systemic support (p ≤ 0.012) and highly significant differences in role division (p < 0.001). Large effect sizes were specifically found in communication with parents (V = 0.540), while moderate to strong effects were observed for lesson planning (V = 0.495) and student preparation (V = 0.417). Key findings indicate that the North Macedonian model fosters a more collaborative environment with shared responsibility, whereas the Slovak model tends toward vertical specialization and delegated tasks. Additionally, resource constraints-specifically the lack of adequate space and equipment-remain the most significant shared barrier to effective implementation in both national contexts. To optimize collaborative teaching, policy recommendations should incorporate North Macedonia's tandem structure (sustained collaboration with an internal PE specialist) and systematic support, along with Slovakia's clarity in administrative delegation, reinforced by mandated infrastructure investment and dedicated co-planning time.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2026.1766019.].

Background: Service quality is a critical determinant of satisfaction and behavioral intentions in fitness centers. Instructors play a pivotal role in shaping users' perceived quality and, consequently, their loyalty and recommendation intentions. This study aimed to compare users' ratings of quality of intervention, loyalty intention, and recommendation intention with instructors' estimations of how users would rate these same dimensions, and to examine how users' ratings vary according to sex, age, educational level, and gym attended.

Methods: A total of 589 users and 145 instructors from five gyms within a Portuguese fitness chain completed an online questionnaire in which users rated quality of intervention, loyalty intention, and recommendation intention, while instructors reported their estimations of how users would rate these same dimensions, rather than providing their own evaluations. Independent samples t-tests and one-way ANOVA were performed to compare perceptions between users and instructors, and across user groups by sex, age, education level, and gym attended.

Results: Users consistently rated instructor quality, loyalty, and recommendation intentions higher than instructors did. Among users, significant differences were found across age, education level, and gym attended: older and less-educated participants, and those from specific gyms, reported higher scores. Only recommendation intention differed by sex, with female users more frequently reporting that they would recommend the gym.

Conclusion: This study highlights the crucial role of instructor quality in shaping satisfaction and behavioral intentions within fitness settings. The results emphasize the importance of reflective professional development for instructors and segmentation-based loyalty strategies for users. These findings offer actionable insights for fitness managers to tailor service delivery, strengthen customer loyalty, and foster sustainable organizational success in a competitive market.