Research in Sports Medicine最新文献

Objective: This study aims to determine the impact of increased anterior pelvic tilt angle on hamstring muscle injuries in football players. An independent t-test was performed to compare right and left anterior pelvic tilt angles.

Design: The study was conducted by monitoring 76 different players from a professional club in the Premier Division of Professional Football League over a period of five years. During this time, the hamstring injuries sustained by the players and their severity were recorded using MRI imaging techniques.

Result: The comparison of the right and left anterior pelvic tilt angles among players was analysed using an independent t-test for independent groups. The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to determine the threshold value that categorizes the right and left angles. According to the results, a significant impact of the variation in right-left anterior pelvic tilt angle on hamstring muscle injuries was observed (p < 0.05). However, no significant effects were found for the Q angle, tibial torsion, or knee posture (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: In conclusion, it can be stated that an increase in the anterior pelvic tilt angle is associated with a higher frequency of hamstring injuries.

Female Rugby Union players were affected by contact breast injuries (CBI) and exercise-induced breast pain (EIBP). Hundred and eighty-two female Rugby players from 25 different countries reported incurring a CBI or EIBP which affected sport performance. A higher percentage of 7s players (7s: 64.3%, 15s: 51.9%) reported at least one CBI over a 12-month period. EIBP frequency, during the same period, was notably low for 7s and 15s. Sprinting, jumping and running were the most frequent activities precipitating the severest EIBP. Being tackled or tackling most frequently caused a CBI. Respondents affected by either CBI (57.3%) or EIPB (51.3%) reported always playing-on during matches despite their pain or injury. Between 19.4% and 32.1% of the respondents did not have a CBI or EIBP prevention strategy. A paucity of player knowledge on prevention strategies was noted, indicating a need for education addressing breast pain and injury among players.

The best medical care for female football athletes should be evidence-based, and patient- and context-specific. A 2019 scoping review identified key knowledge gaps relating to the health of female footballers. Since then, research in women's football has been intensifying. To aid in the direction of future research, this study aims to scope peer-reviewed, illness-related research in women's football. Five databases were searched in July 2023. In combination with identified studies from the 2019 review, 72 studies were included for data extraction of sample characteristics (age, playing level, geography), illness characteristics according to IOC guidance, and broader research themes. Results reveal an overall lack of quantity and variety in illnesses investigated, with a growing popularity in mental health research. Minimal female athlete-specific illnesses were identified. Future research must address urgent female-specific illness topics, and also consider where knowledge from adjacent populations might be safe to adapt into women's football.

The purposes of this study were 1) to investigate if cytokines were increased following a running road-race, and 2) to examine associations between cytokines and hyperthermia. Seventy-seven recreational runners participated in this study which occurred at the 7-mile race in the heat (ambient temperature, 25.0-26.7°C; %RH, 56.7-79.0 ± 5.0%). Before and following the race, blood draws were performed to measure circulating inflammatory cytokines. Core temperature was measured using an ingestible thermistor throughout the race. Core temperature was significantly higher at post-race (39.5 ± 0.7°C) than pre-race (36.9 ± 0.4°C, p < 0.001). IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10 significantly increased at post-race (IL-6, 48.0 ± 22.3 pg⋅ml^-1; IL-8, 63.8 ± 23.9 pg⋅ml^-1; IL-10, 29.2 ± 20.0 pg⋅ml^-1) compared to pre-race (IL-6, 28.4 ± 13.6 pg⋅ml^-1; IL-8, 53.2 ± 19.4 pg⋅ml^-1; IL-10, 18.6 ± 11.9 pg⋅ml^-1, p < 0.001). A greater increase in core temperature pre- to post-race was predicted by the faster finish time, a greater increase in IL-6, and greater body mass loss during the race (r² = 0.298, p < 0.001). Small associations were found between IL-8 and core temperature at post-race (r = 0.255, p = 0.025). In conclusion, cytokines concentrations and core temperature increased following the race. Moreover, post-race hyperthermia is associated with increased IL-6, faster finish times, and higher body mass losses.

This study aims to investigate anthropometric and training characteristics associated with injuries in runners using a complex approach. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 97 Brazilian runners of both sexes (age: 39.1 ± 11.5 years; body mass index: 24.2 ± 4.2 kg/m²). A web survey was used for data collection, including age, sex, body weight, body height, training volume/frequency, session duration, running pace and injury information (yes or no; the number of injuries). The partial correlation parameter was used for network estimation, considering both sexes. For women, injury occurrence was positively and strongly associated with training frequency (r = 0.57) and the number of competitions (r = 0.64), while for men, a negative and strong association was found with age (r=-0.69), and positive associations were observed with BMI (r = 0.89) and training volume (r = 0.82). Network centrality showed that training session duration and the number of competitions/year presented a higher expected influence value for women (-1.47) and men (-1.31). Using a non-linear approach with Brazilian non-professional runners, training characteristics had a stronger influence on running-related injuries.

Ischaemic preconditioning (IPC), brief periods of ischaemia immediately followed by reperfusion applied to a vascular bed, has emerged as a method to improve exercise performance. There is, however, a lack of research exploring repeated episodes of IPC on anaerobic performance. The aim of this study was to determine if a 2-week repeated IPC intervention could enhance anaerobic performance in male academy football players. Eight male academy football players completed two, 2-week intervention trials: six IPC episodes (4 × 5 min at 220 mmHg per episode), and six SHAM episodes (4 × 5 min at 20 mmHg per episode). Prior to and following each intervention trial, the participants completed assessments of anaerobic performance (Running Anaerobic Sprint Test [RAST]), and superficial femoral artery endothelial function (flow-mediated dilation [FMD]). IPC significantly enhanced peak and mean power output by 12% (p = 0.026) and 11% (p = 0.019) and significantly improved superficial femoral artery FMD (p = 0.049). The increase in endothelial function suggests that this may be a mechanism contributing to this enhancement of anaerobic performance. The present study supports the use of repeated IPC prior to matches and training sessions to enhance anaerobic performance.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the characteristics of match injury in male beach soccer players. Video recordings of all official beach soccer tournaments in which the European national male beach soccer teams participated from 2018 to 2021 were analysed by two sports medicine specialists retrospectively. Regarding each injury, data including the mechanism, location of the injury, whether the injury led to time-loss, and the relationship of the injury to the bicycle kick (BK), etc. were documented. A total of 632 injuries were documented, corresponding to 234.9 injuries/1000 player hours. Video footage was available for 580 injuries. Whilst 79.8% of medical attention injuries occurred due to opponent contact, 19.5% of time-loss injuries occurred due to non-contact, and 12.2% of indirect opponent contact (p < 0.01). The most common location of the BK related injury was the head/neck (68.7%), whereas most common location of the BK unrelated injury was the lower extremity (54.1%) (p < 0.01). The findings demonstrated that beach soccer injury incidence was quite high; the most common injury location was head/neck and head/neck injuries were associated with BK. In light of these results, some rule regulations, particularly those associated with BK, and the use of protective equipment should be considered to prevent these injuries.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of sodium bicarbonate (SB) supplementation on physical performance, neuromuscular and metabolic responses during CrossFit® exercise. Seventeen Advanced CrossFit®-trained athletes completed the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover protocol consisting of four visits, including two familiarization sessions and two experimental trials separated by a 7-day washout period. Participants supplemented 0.3 g/kg body mass (BM) of SB or placebo 120-min prior to performing the CrossFit® benchmark Fran followed by 500 m of rowing. SB improved time to complete Fran compared to PLA (291.2 ± 71.1 vs. 303.3 ± 77.8 s, p = 0.047), but not 500 m rowing (112.1 s ± 7.9 vs. 113.2 s ± 8.9 s, p = 0.26). No substantial side-effects were reported during the trials. This study showed that SB improved CrossFit® benchmark Fran performance, but not subsequent 500-m rowing. These data suggest that SB might be an interesting supplementation strategy for CrossFit® athletes.

Field hockey is characterized by a unique dribbling position which has been associated with a prevalence of low back pain and lumbar injury. To quantify the biomechanical response of the hockey-specific running gait, twelve field hockey players completed treadmill running at speeds of 6, 9 and 12 km·hr^-1 with a normal running gait and whilst manipulating the hockey stick to replicate dribbling. Mechanical loading was quantified using tri-axial accelerometery at L4, and muscular activity was measured for biceps femoris (BF), gluteus medius (GM) and quadratus lumborum (QL) of each limb. Running with the stick elicited greater mechanical loading in the medio-lateral (p = 0.001) and antero-posterior (p = 0.003) planes, and increased peak (p = 0.004) and mean (p = 0.002) EMG response of QL (p = 0.004). The greater planar mechanical loading and QL activation in response to hockey-specific running technique support epidemiological observations of lower back pain prevalence. The sensitivity of uni-axial mechanical loading to the hockey-specific running posture provides an efficacious means of objectively monitoring mechanical loading in-vivo, whilst the QL activation response has implications for (p)rehabilitative interventions. Running posture and speed can be considered as discrete progressions when considering training load.

This study assessed whether symptoms of muscle damage could be reduced by a combination of therapeutic ultrasound and electrical stimulations, and whether this could be enhanced by blood flow restriction. Before and 48 h after performing eccentric elbow flexion exercises, individuals completed assessments of muscle damage. A 10-min therapeutic ultrasound and electrical stimulation treatment was then applied with and without blood flow restriction to assess short (5 min) and long-term (24 h) improvements. Twenty-three individuals completed the study (11 females). Data were analysed using Bayesian repeated measures ANOVAs. The damaging exercise increased discomfort (BF₁₀ = 2.93e14) and relaxed joint angle (BF₁₀ = 2425.90) while decreasing pain pressure threshold (BF₁₀ = 289.71). Each of these variables was acutely improved with the combination treatment protocol (all BF₁₀ ≥ 74) with no added effect of blood flow restriction. A combination of therapeutic ultrasound and interferential electrical stimulations appeared effective at acutely alleviating symptoms of muscle damage with no additive effect of blood flow restriction.