Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness最新文献

Background: Monitoring tendon morphology and function can improve our understanding of how tendons adapt to chronic training, potentially supporting the maintenance of strength and endurance. Despite that explosive sports share similarities, they also differ in key factors like movement speed and reactivity, loading duration and direction, range of motion, and muscle contraction type. This study aimed to compare the patellar tendon morphology and mechanical characteristics among sprinters, long and high jumpers, gymnasts, and karate athletes.

Methods: Forty-one elite male athletes with national and international competition experience participated. Patellar tendon properties, knee extensor strength, power, and rate of force development during countermovement jumps were measured during the pre-competition training phase.

Results: Results indicated that patellar tendon length, cross-sectional area, stiffness, and Young's modulus were similar across these athletes (P>0.05), despite differences in body weight, height, body composition, force production, and power output during dynamic movements. However, significant differences in patellar tendon stress were observed, correlating strongly with maximal knee extension peak torque and peak power during the countermovement jump (r > 0.646, P<0.01).

Conclusions: These findings suggest that patellar tendon morphology and mechanical properties were largely consistent across different power athletes, but high tendon stress resulting from increased force production highlights the need for a balanced relationship between force development and tendon adaptation.

Background: Reduced hip joint mobility increases lumbar spine stress, leading to disorders. However, the impact of thoracic spine mobility on lumbar spine disorders remains unclear, as do sport-specific differences in thoracic mobility.

Methods: Participants were male athletes aged ≥18 years (26 baseball, 50 rugby, 20 handball, 33 gymnastics). Thoracic spine flexion, extension, and total ROM were measured using a Spinal Mouse, and rotation ROM using an inclinometer. Study 1 examined thoracic ROM differences among sports. Study 2 classified rugby players and gymnasts based on presence or absence of low back pain (LBP) in the past 6 months and compared thoracic ROM.

Results: In Study 1, thoracic flexion ROM was lower in handball than in baseball and rugby. Thoracic extension ROM was greatest in gymnastics. Total thoracic ROM was lowest in handball and highest in gymnastics. Thoracic rotation was greater in baseball than rugby or handball on both sides. In gymnastics, dominant-side rotation was greater than rugby, and non-dominant-side rotation was greater than rugby and handball. In Study 2, rugby players with LBP had reduced thoracic flexion ROM, while gymnasts with LBP had reduced total thoracic ROM.

Conclusions: This study found that thoracic spine ROM differs by sport and is decreased in athletes with LBP, suggesting thoracic ROM is important for treating LBP in athletes.

Background: Despite a substantial body of literature on identifying talent in outfield players, information on goalkeepers (GKs) is scarce due to the specialist demands associated with the position. The purpose of this study was to explore which qualities GK coaches perceive as important for talented youth soccer GKs.

Methods: This qualitative study used a pragmatic research paradigm. The sample consisted of eight GK coaches (mean age 50.12±9.33 years; mean experience 17.25±9.97 years) who were purposively recruited to participate in the study. A semi-structured interview guide was used to collect data, and a two-stage thematic analysis was employed to identify themes.

Results: Four themes and 10 sub-themes were constructed: technical (i.e. handling), physical (i.e. upper body strength and height), tactical (defensive organization, build-up play and decision-making) and psychosocial (i.e. bravery, coachability, communication and composure) attributes.

Conclusions: These findings may provide coaches with valuable information regarding the traits that potentially talented GKs should possess, which could guide training for talent development programs to increase their chances of being chosen for future opportunities.

Background: This study investigates the key variables influencing injury occurrence in elite-level female volleyball players. It aims to evaluate three hypotheses: (1) the quantification of workload using the "System Training Response" score provides a superior explanation and prediction of injury occurrence compared to traditional methods such as sum or mean; (2) both menses and external workload serve as primary variables that explain injury occurrence; and (3) non-linear models yield better explanatory and predictive capabilities for injury occurrence than linear models.

Methods: Nineteen elite female volleyball players were monitored throughout a 190-day competitive season, during which various training-related parameters were collected. These parameters included internal and external workload quantification and menses data. To analyze and predict injury occurrence, machine learning techniques were employed, with a particular emphasis on Random Forest models.

Results: The Random Forest model demonstrated superior performance in describing injury occurrence, achieving an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.87. Key variables identified as significant contributors to injury occurrence included the players' age, menses status, and the percentage of intense jumps executed. Furthermore, the cross-validation procedure conducted on a reserved portion of the dataset yielded positive results, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.74, indicating a good generalization performance of the model.

Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that intense training prior to performance may increase the risk of injury, while older players appear to exhibit a lower risk of injury. These insights highlight the importance of tailored training strategies that consider both physiological factors and individual player profiles to mitigate injury risks in elite female volleyball athletes, including the presence or absence of menstruation with associated discomfort, which appears to be a relevant factor.

Background: This study examines how coaching strategies influence performance patterns in elite Italian football, comparing the possession-based "building-from-the-back" style with a direct approach.

Methods: Observational data from all 380 matches of the 2022-2023 Serie A season, sourced from a public online platform, were categorized by playing style based on goalkeeper distribution patterns.

Results: Teams favoring the "building-from-the-back" strategy (Group 1) achieved superior results compared to those adopting direct play (Group 2). On average, Group 1 earned more points (63.8±14.4 vs. 40.2±14.1, P<0.002), scored more goals (57.3±10.5 vs. 40.1±12.5, P=0.004), and conceded fewer (42.4±10.4 vs. 55.0±10.9, P=0.017). They also recorded a higher goal difference (+14.9 vs. -14.9, P=0.003), greater ball possession (53.1±4.3% vs. 46.9±5.0%, P=0.009), more shot-creating actions (906.6±128.4 vs. 777.9±133.2, P=0.041), and more goal-scoring actions (97.7±17.3 vs. 64.8±24.0, P=0.003). Logistic regression showed that teams using build-up play were 13.5 times more likely to qualify for European competitions (95% CI: 1.20-152.0), with six of the seven qualified teams adopting this style. Effect sizes across metrics were consistently large (Cohen's d: 0.94-1.65).

Conclusions: Possession-oriented teams outperformed direct-play teams in both offensive and defensive indicators, underscoring the strategic role of coaches in orchestrating effective build-up play. These descriptive findings highlight how tactical choices are strongly associated with measurable outcomes in elite Italian football, offering data-driven insights for coaching methodologies and future research.

The Mediterranean lifestyle has attracted significant research attention in recent years. This lifestyle is supported by several key pillars, including dietary habits, social and spiritual engagement, and physical activity. Although much of the research has focused on the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, physical activity has received comparatively less emphasis. Nevertheless, physical activity remains a vital component of the Mediterranean lifestyle, deeply embedded in cultural traditions and daily routines. This paper examines the defining features, movement patterns, and cultural foundations of physical activity within the traditional Mediterranean lifestyle. By drawing on historical sources, anthropological studies, and contemporary research, we characterize Traditional Mediterranean Physical Activity (TMPA) as a set of habitual, non-structured movement patterns integrated into daily life. These activities include farming, fishing, manual labor, dancing, and walking for transportation, all reflecting a functionally active lifestyle shaped by environmental and occupational demands. The study also explores how TMPA has evolved and its potential alignment with modern physical activity paradigms. The key components of TMPA include functional movements, outdoor engagement, and communal participation, reflecting a culturally embedded approach to physical activity in Mediterranean societies. This study provides a foundation for understanding TMPA as a distinct movement model shaped by tradition and sustainability and offers insights into how these activity patterns have persisted or adapted in contemporary settings.

Introduction: Swimming, as a universal popular sport, can carry a high risk of injury. The current research aimed to demonstrate a comprehensive overview of swimming-related musculoskeletal injuries in amateur, competitive and elite swimmers through the utilization of a systematic review and meta-analysis methodology.

Evidence acquisition: A comprehensive search was performed in the five valid databases (the Scopus, PubMed, Medline, Embase, and Web of Science) utilizing two sets of keywords up to January 2025 based on the PRISMA approach. The prevalence of shoulder injuries and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated applying a random effect model. The quality assessment of the papers in the current review was performed utilizing the critical appraisal tools of Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI).

Evidence synthesis: The included papers totally comprised 10,973 individuals. The prevalence of injuries in these individuals was in the range between 0.3 and 91.2%. Shoulder injuries in 66 out of 94 studies (70.2%), knee in 34 out of 94 studies (36.1%), arm/forearm in 20 out of 94 studies (21.2%), neck in 16 out of 94 studies (17.02%), hand injuries in 14 out of 94 studies (14.8%), low back in 13 out of 94 studies (13.8%), and spine in 11 out of 94 studies (11.7%) were the highest prevalence in diversified injuries. The subgroup analysis showed that the polled prevalence of shoulder injuries in elite swimmers (46.03%; 95% CI 35.85, 56.22) was higher than the amateur (45.77%; 95% CI 29.96, 61.57) and competitive (33.96%; 95% CI 30.59, 37.33) individuals. The subgroup analysis showed that the polled prevalence of shoulder injuries in elite swimmers (46.03%; 95% CI 35.85, 56.22) was higher than the amateur (45.77%; 95% CI 29.96, 61.57) and competitive (33.96%; 95% CI 30.59, 37.33) individuals.

Conclusions: These outcomes spotlight the urgent need for injury prevention and management protocols, in particular targeting vulnerable regions such as the shoulder and knee in swimmers.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine sex- and age-specific handgrip strength percentiles in French adults and investigate sociodemographic and anthropometric variables associated with lower upper arm strength.

Methods: A sample of 18,532 French adults (5262 men, 13,090 women), aged 18-91, from the NutriNet-Santé cohort (2011-2014) was assessed for handgrip strength. For each hand, the maximum grip strength in kilograms was recorded. Grip strength was analyzed in absolute terms and relative units (relative to body weight and BMI). Percentiles (5^th to 95^th) were established by age and sex. Sociodemographic, lifestyle, and anthropometric factors associated with low handgrip strength (<20^th percentile) were evaluated using logistic regression, considering age, education, income, smoking status, BMI, physical activity, and sitting time.

Results: Low BMI was linked to low handgrip strength in both sexes, whereas overweight was protective in men (OR 0.77). In women, lower education correlated with higher odds of low strength (OR 0.78-0.84). Male former or current smokers had higher odds of low grip strength (OR 1.20-1.35), while women showed an inverse association (OR 0.86). Physical activity reduced risk in both sexes, particularly at high activity levels (men OR 0.74; women OR 0.73). Age was a key factor in women, with increased odds in the 45-49 and 55-59 age groups (OR 1.27 and 1.32).

Conclusions: The reference values provide reference data for French adults, and these data should be useful in identifying populations at risk of low muscle strength and sarcopenia.

Background: The aim of our research was to compare the effects of the TRX Suspension Trainer and Physioball devices on developing trunk muscles among primary school students.

Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, we used non-randomized sampling methods. 40 primary school students were involved in the study (14 years old). The participants exclusively used TRX and Physioball devices between the warm-up and relaxation part. For the measurement we applied the trunk stability test (modified plank test) and the dynamic balance test (Y-balance test, star balance test). Statistical tests used: Wilcoxon test, Mann-Whitney U Test. The P value was set at P<0.050. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0 software.

Results: The local muscular endurance of the core muscles was significantly improved in both groups (P<0.001). In the TRX and in the Physioball group the stability of the upper limb was significantly improved (P<0.050), except for one direction (P=0.059) in the TRX group. In the lower limb of the TRX and of the Physioball group there was a significant improvement (P<0.050) except for two directions (medial: P=0.083; anteromedial: P=0.154) in the TRX group and two directions (anterior: P=0.052; posteromedial: P=0.085) in the Physioball group.

Conclusions: The applied program had a positive effect, but no significant difference was found between the developmental effects of the TRX and Physioball. Despite the different availability prices of the devices and the similar but different mechanisms of action of the devices, it can be said that both devices are equally effective.