BMC Sports Science Medicine and Rehabilitation最新文献

Objective: Inflammation is a condition that trigger an immune response and oxidative stress refers to an imbalance between production and elimination of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, several non-pharmacological approaches have been proposed to improve health outcomes, among which exercise programs have shown promising effects on inflammatory and oxidative biomarkers across various health conditions.

Aim: In this regard, the present umbrella meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the potential of exercise interventions to modulate inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers across different population.

Methods: A comprehensive systematic search was carried out in on Scopus, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar up to March 2025. The overall effect size (ESs) was calculated using random effect model. Also, subgroup analyses were performed regarding ESs, health status, ad type of exercise program.

Results: Our comprehensive systematic search initially identified 1246 studies, of which twenty-nine meta-analyses, were included in the present umbrella meta-analysis. Finding revealed that training program could significantly reduce C-reactive protein (CRP) (ES: -0.50; 95% CI: -0.65, -0.36, P < 0.001), interleukin-6 (IL-6) (E: -0.29; 95% CI: -0.41, -0.18; P < 0.001), IL-8 (ES: -1.20; 95% CI: -2.19, -0.21, P = 0.018), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (ES: -0.47, 95% CI: -0.60, -0.34; P < 0.001). In addition, it was accompanied with an improvement in malondialdehyde (MDA) (ES: -1.26; 95% CI: -1.60, -0.93, P < 0.001) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) (ES: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.25, 1.51; P = 0.006) level too. Subgroup analyses indicated that all aerobic, resistance and combined exercise could improve inflammatory state significantly. Also, exercise favorable properties were evident in most health state to affect CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α level.

Conclusion: Exercise program could attenuate the CRP, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α level. Additionally, exercise demonstrated a beneficial impact on oxidative status, as evidenced by decreased MDA levels and increased GPx activity.

Background: Prior research has suggested links between youth sport special-ization, inter-limb asymmetries, and injury risk, but findings remain inconsistent regarding whether single-sport athletes show greater asymmetries than their multi-sport peers. This study examined differences in inter-limb asymme-try (global, balance, strength) between single- and multi-sport athletes, and explored the prevalence of exceeding clinical thresholds, sex- and sport-specific interactions, and associations with training volume and injury history.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 76 youth athletes (24 single-sport, 52 multi-sport; mean age 12.6 ± 1.7 years) using standardized assessments of dynamic balance (Y-Balance Test) and isometric strength (hand-held dynamometry). Inter-limb asymmetry was calculated using Index-9 in three domains: global asymmetry, balance asymmetry, and strength asymmetry. Differ-ences between single-sport specialists and multi-sport athletes were tested using linear mixed effect models, adjusted for sex, maturity status, BMI, training vol-ume, and sport type. Sensitivity and interaction analyzes (e.g., sport symmetry, sex, injury history) were also performed.

Results: Inter-limb strength asymmetries greater than 10% were observed in more than half of the participants, especially for ankle plantarflexion and hip abduction. Balance asymmetries were smaller, with fewer than 15% of athletes exceeding the 10% threshold. Training volume was higher in the single-sport group, but was not associated with greater asymmetry. No significant differences were found between single and multisport athletes for global (β = 0.039, p = .597), balance (β = 0.037, p = .745) or strength asymmetry (β = 0.013, p = .879). These null results persisted across the sensitivity analyses and interaction models.

Conclusions: Despite higher training volumes, single-sport youth athletes did not exhibit greater balance or strength asymmetries than their multi-sport peers. Inter-limb asymmetries were common across the cohort but were not associated with sport specialization. These findings highlight the need for cautious, individ-ualized interpretation of asymmetry measures in youth athletes, and underscore the importance of further research to clarify their developmental and clinical significance.

Trial registrations: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06325228); registered on 10/03/2024.

Background: The intensity of personality traits can significantly differentiate amateur, competitive, and professional athletes who use different approaches to practicing sports but compete against each other in the same competitions. Therefore, the objective of this article is to ascertain the extent to which personality traits and sporting levels are manifested in athletes who compete together in modern sports.

Methods: The study involved Polish athletes (N = 341), including historical fencers (n = 161), streetball players (n = 90), and modern dancers (n = 90). The NEO-FFI personality questionnaire was employed as the instrument of choice. The statistical analysis was conducted using the IBM SPSS Statistics 29.0 software package. The level of significance was assumed to be α = 0.05.

Results: The results demonstrated that there were statistically significant differences between the representatives of the various sporting disciplines in the intensity of all personality traits, with the exception of the difference in the intensity of neuroticism between historical fencers and modern dancers. Furthermore, when comparing all subjects by sporting level, significant differences were observed in the intensity of neuroticism (amateurs vs. competitive, amateurs vs. professional), extraversion (amateurs vs. professional) and conscientiousness (amateurs vs. professional, competitive vs. professional). Furthermore, it was found that lower intensities of neuroticism and higher extraversion were associated with higher levels of sport among historical fencers, whereas lower intensities of neuroticism and higher extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness and conscientiousness were associated with higher levels of sport among streetball players.

Conclusions: Among the surveyed population of athletes, the greatest differences occur in the intensity of neuroticism, extroversion, and conscientiousness. In addition, the most significant correlation is between low neuroticism and the level of training in a sport. Only extroversion intensity is not related to advancing to a higher level of sports performance. The intensity of all personality traits is important, but the intensity of neuroticism plays a leading role.

Background: Peak oxygen uptake (VO_2peak) is the gold standard for assessing cardiorespiratory fitness, but many patients with stroke cannot complete maximal cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET) due to motor impairments. This study aimed to explore indicators correlated with VO_2peak and to investigate preliminary screening approaches for assessing cardiorespiratory fitness in patients with subacute stroke.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. The study was registered on 2 July 2020. Participants were male patients with ischaemic and haemorrhagic strokes, who were hospitalised in the Rehabilitation Department of Shenzhen Second People's Hospital between August 2020 and March 2023. Handgrip strength (HS) on the affected side and unaffected side was measured using a hydraulic hand dynamometer. VO_2peak was measured using a cardiopulmonary exercise test system. Univariate and ​theory-driven forced-entry multiple linear regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between participant characteristics and VO_2peak.

Results: A total of 116 male patients with subacute stroke (mean age: 52 years) were included in the analysis. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that the weight-adjusted HS on the unaffected side was independently associated with VO_2peak. A combination of age, body surface area, Barthel Index, key clinical variables (disease duration and hypertension), and submaximal CPET indicators (anaerobic threshold, oxygen uptake efficiency slope, minute ventilation to carbon dioxide production slope) explained 73.6% of the variance in VO_2peak. The addition of weight-adjusted HS on the unaffected side increased the explained variance to 74.8%.

Conclusions: Submaximal exercise testing may offer an alternative approach for evaluating cardiorespiratory fitness in patients with stroke who are unable to perform maximal testing. HS assessment could serve as a preliminary screening tool for estimating aerobic capacity in patients with stroke, particularly in resource-limited settings, or may complement CPET parameters in tracking rehabilitation outcomes.

Trial registration: The study protocol was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2000035308, Registration date: August 7, 2020, https://www.chictr.org.cn/bin/project/edit?pid=57565 ).

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the impact of knee angle variability on force production outcomes during the single-leg isometric long-lever bridge, thus providing monitoring guidelines for testing rigor with direct implications for feasibility across a variety of high-performance sporting environments.

Methods: Thirty men (age: 19.4 ± 1.3 years; height: 179.8 ± 6.3 cm; body mass: 80.4 ± 10.3 kg) and 14 women (age: 20.0 ± 1.3 years; height: 166.9 ± 7.2 cm; body mass: 64.4 ± 7.4 kg) all of whom were Division 3 athletes with no recent injury history volunteered to participate in the study. All participants completed three testing sessions over five days in randomized order, with knee flexion angles of 15°, 30°, or 45° degrees. Each session consisted of three unilateral maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC), with the athlete's heels positioned on force plates, shoulders elevated on a 15.24 cm box, and hips secured using a rigid barbell. All data was analyzed to assess net force production comparisons between knee angles at 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 ms and peak force (N).

Results: Large variance in force outputs were observed ranging between 0.30 and 0.82 (male η_p²), and 0.52-0.76 (female η_p²), and significant differences observed between all knee angles (p < 0.05). Pairwise comparisons revealed effect sizes ranging between small-large for males (Hedge's g = 0.27-1.84) and moderate to very large for females (g = 0.51-2.18) across individual force-time points.

Conclusions: These findings indicate that the knee angle must be rigorously controlled when performing the single-leg isometric long-lever bridge to mitigate unwanted variability and to accurately assess the intended musculature, especially for longitudinal monitoring.

Background: Physical and neuropsychiatric disturbances often persist after stroke, necessitating innovative rehabilitation strategies. Combining exercise with probiotics may synergistically enhance recovery by leveraging neuroplasticity and modulation of the gut-brain axis. This study evaluated the individual and combined effects of exercise and probiotics in stroke patients.

Methods: Ninety-six patients (32 per group) within 1 year post-stroke were randomized to exercise with probiotics (EWP) (90 min/session multimodal exercise, 3 times weekly, plus probiotics, 1 capsule/day, 3.3 billion CFU Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium lactis, for 8 weeks), exercise alone (EA), or probiotics alone (PA). The primary outcomes of physical disability (modified Rankin Scale [mRS]) and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS]-depression sub-scale) and secondary outcomes of motor function (Supplemental Motor Scale of National Institute of Health Stroke Scale [SMSNIHSS]), anxiety (HADS-anxiety sub-scale), and cognition (Montreal Cognitive Assessment [MoCA]) were assessed at baseline, 4th week, and 8th week.

Results: EWP showed significantly greater improvements in mRS (p < 0.05, η² = 0.26 at week 4, 0.46 at week 8), SMSNIHSS (p < 0.05, η² = 0.08 at week 4, 0.24 at week 8), HADS-D (p < 0.05, η² = 0.24 at week 8), HADS-A (p < 0.05, η² = 0.07 at week 4, 0.26 at week 8), and MoCA (p < 0.05, η² = 0.18 at week 4, 0.46 at week 8) compared to EA and PA at weeks 4 and 8, except for HADS-D at week 4 (p > 0.05, η² = 0.04). At week 8, EA significantly outperformed PA in mRS, SMSNIHSS, and MoCA (p < 0.05), but not HADS-D or HADS-A (p > 0.05). Transient stomach upset occurred in 9.4% (PA) and 6.3% (EWP), resolved with water. EA reported no adverse events.

Conclusion: EWP showed superiority compared to either intervention alone in improving physical and motor functions, mood, and cognition in stroke patients. EA outperforms PA in physical, motor, and cognitive outcomes but shows comparable effects on depression and anxiety. Minimal adverse events support EWP's feasibility. These findings underscore the possibility of integrating exercise with probiotics to optimize post-stroke recovery in multiple domains.

Trial registration: Pan African Clinical Trial Registry (PACTR202408541705549), 13/08/2024.