European journal of sport science最新文献

This study aimed to elucidate the relationships between sectional velocity, pedaling rate, and gear ratio with performance outcomes in the 200-m qualifying race in track cycling (200mTT). High-speed video footage (120 Hz) was collected at three Japanese championships in 2024, analyzing 38 male cyclists. Sectional velocities, pedaling rates, and gear ratios were derived from the footage. The track was divided into ten 20-m segments for the timed section; flying-start segments were estimated using visual markers and cubic spline interpolation. Cyclists were categorized into four performance groups based on 200mTT times: top (TG), middle-high (MHG), middle-low (MLG), and low (LG). The TG exhibited significantly higher velocities than other groups from −135 m onward and maintained this advantage throughout the trial (P < 0.05). They also achieved a steady 2% velocity increase during the flying-start phase and demonstrated more consistent pacing with reduced velocity fluctuations across curved and straight segments. Despite comparable gear ratios between TG and MHG, differences in acceleration timing and strategy led to divergent outcomes. Partial correlation analysis controlling for initial velocity confirmed that higher gear ratios independently contributed to greater maximum velocity. In contrast, the magnitude of velocity decrement had minimal influence on race time. These findings underscore the importance of optimizing both technique and conditioning to enhance maximal velocity. The trend toward higher gear ratios highlights the need for earlier well-timed acceleration during the flying-start phase. These insights offer guidance for aligning gear selection and acceleration strategies with cyclists' physical characteristics to improve 200mTT performance.

Early sport specialization during adolescence has been linked to overuse injuries in several sports, yet its long-term impact in American football remains underexplored. The purpose of this study is to examine whether early specialization in football during high school is associated with higher injury rates and shorter careers than multi-sport participation. This is a retrospective cohort study with level of evidence 3. We analyzed all NFL players drafted from 2011 to 2023 (n = 2556) who played ≥ 16 career games. Athletes were classified as multisport or single-sport based on high school varsity participation using public records. Injury data were obtained from validated online databases. The primary outcome was injury incidence, measured as injuries per 1000 snaps (defined as individual plays participated in). Secondary outcomes included career length, total games played, and weighted career approximate value (AV). Injury rates were compared with position-stratified incidence rate ratios (IRRs). Multisport athletes (63.6%) sustained fewer total injuries (IRR, 0.80, 95% CI, 0.76–0.85, and p < 0.001) and major injuries (IRR, 0.77, 95% CI, 0.71–0.82, and p < 0.001) compared to single-sport athletes. Multisport athletes also played 12.2 more NFL games (95% CI, 9.2–15.1, p < 0.001, and d = 0.32) and had 0.7 additional career years (95% CI, 0.5–0.9, p < 0.01 and d = 0.28). NFL players who participated in multiple sports during high school had significantly lower injury rates and greater career durability. These findings support the body of evidence discouraging early sport specialization.

Whether fat oxidation (FATox) is altered during exercise in hypoxia remains equivocal due to differences in experimental protocols. Furthermore, to date no investigation has reported the effect of hypoxia on maximal fat oxidation rate (MFO). Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess substrate utilization in normoxia and hypoxia and determine MFO. Seventeen active adults (12 M/5F) performed ramp and step incremental testing in normoxia (FiO₂ = 0.209; NORM) and normobaric hypoxia (FiO₂ = 0.135; HYPO). Respiratory compensation point (RCP) determined from ramp testing was used to normalize relative intensity across 6 constant workrate steps in the moderate and heavy domain. Indirect calorimetry was used to measure cardiorespiratory responses and estimate substrate utilization and MFO. Linear mixed modeling was used to compare measurements in NORM and HYPO, where intensity was expressed as a function of absolute or relative workrate. Cardiorespiratory responses to exercise were similar in NORM and HYPO when the workrate was expressed as a function of relative intensity. FATox was decreased across all stages in HYPO (p < 0.001), which was associated with a 22% decrease in MFO (HYPO: 0.26 ± 0.07 g·min⁻¹, NORM: 0.34 ± 0.07 g·min⁻¹; p < 0.001, d = 1.16). MFO occurred at a similar percentage of $$O_2max in both NORM (38 ± 8%) and HYPO (38 ± 8%; p = 0.89, d = 0.04). MFO was decreased in HYPO regardless of whether the workrate was expressed as a function of relative or absolute intensity. This suggests that hypoxia may exert a direct effect on regulation of fuel selection during exercise, independent of the reduced absolute workrate when normalizing relative intensity to RCP.

Leisure-time physical activity has consistently been associated with better mental health. However, evidence on active commuting and occupational physical activity is less conclusive. We examined cross-sectional associations of domain-specific physical activity with depressive symptoms and psychological distress among Finnish employed adults. We included 3439 adults (mean age 45.0 years; 51% female) from the FinHealth 2017 Study. Based on commuting, occupational and leisure-time physical activity behaviour, participants were categorised as passive or active commuters; sedentary, lightly active or moderately/highly active workers; and sedentary, recreationally active or exercisers/athletes, respectively. Daily active commuting volumes were also assessed. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios, with models adjusted for key covariates. High volumes of active commuting (≥ 30 min a day) were associated with higher odds of depressive symptoms (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.18–2.13), whereas no associations were observed for lower active commuting volumes or when active commuting was analysed as a binary variable. Regarding occupational physical activity, lightly active workers were less likely to experience psychological distress (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.40–0.97) compared to sedentary workers, whereas no associations were observed for moderately or highly active workers. Regarding leisure-time physical activity, exercisers and athletes had lower odds of depressive symptoms (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.32–0.61) and psychological distress (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.21–0.55) compared to sedentary individuals, as did recreationally active adults. Leisure-time and light occupational physical activity, but not active commuting, were associated with fewer mental health symptoms. Potential mental health benefits of physical activity may be domain- and volume-specific.

Coach-perpetrated interpersonal violence can pose significant risks to athletes' development as well as psychological, physical and social well-being worldwide. This study examined the perceived harmfulness of witnessed coach-perpetrated interpersonal violence behaviours in the North Mediterranean region, alongside any associations with coaching climates (empowering and disempowering). Data were collected from 494 active coaches across Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Spain and Portugal through an online questionnaire where they reported witnessing and perceived harm of psychological, physical, instrumental and sexual violence, as well as their coaching climates. The analysis showed psychological violence as the most frequently witnessed form and physical violence being perceived as the most harmful one. An empowering coaching climate, characterised by autonomy support and positive reinforcement, correlated positively with higher perceived harm, especially for psychological and instrumental violence. Conversely, a disempowering climate, marked by control and punitive behaviours, correlated with lower perceived harm. Gender, coach education and professional status were found to influence coaches' perceptions, highlighting that cultural and structural complexities have a role towards interpersonal violence tolerance. The study underscores the critical need for culturally tailored safe sport initiatives, mandatory training of coaches in safe coaching behaviours and practices and proactive safeguarding measures to mitigate interpersonal violence across diverse sporting contexts. Culturally informed interventions need to challenge the normalisation of violence in coaching and encourage empowering climates that place athletes in the centre and prioritise their welfare.

Training strategies to promote safe and effective tackle technique are an important target for injury prevention and enhancing performance across the rugby codes. However, there is a research-to-implementation gap in ‘real-world’ settings and a need for more studies with women and girls. This article outlines the development of an evidence-informed tackle coaching intervention co-created with content and context experts in women's rugby union. Based on previous work which developed a context-specific injury-prevention programme for women playing Australian Football, a 7-step process was adopted. After gaining organisational support, the process included using research evidence and applied experience and engaging intervention implementers to co-create the content for ‘Contact Confident’. Iterative integration of feedback from early implementers enhanced practical relevance for coaches. This study underlines the importance of stakeholder collaboration in cocreating and implementing injury prevention interventions, offering a scalable resource for tackle and ball carrier skill development in rugby union for women and girls, with wider relevance for other genders and sports. Future research should look to evaluate the impact of this and similar context-specific interventions on coach behaviour and athlete outcomes across varied global rugby settings.

The impact of anticipation during a football-specific action on neuromuscular control in female football players is underexplored. To investigate the influence of anticipation on trunk and lower limb kinematics during a single-leg diagonal drop jump test in female football players. Twenty-eight amateur football players performed two drop jumps per leg in two directions: ipsilateral and contralateral (same or opposite side of the landing leg, respectively) under anticipated and unanticipated conditions. In the anticipated condition, the jump direction was known before landing, whereas in the unanticipated condition, it was indicated by a visual light stimulus presented before ground contact. The sagittal and frontal planes of the first landing were recorded for 2D video analysis. Female football players exhibited longer ground contact time (p < 0.001; ES = 1.649–1.798) during unanticipated jumps. Unanticipated trials were performed with greater trunk, hip and knee flexion, and this was already evident at initial contact (η_p² ≈ 0.16–0.18) and became very large by final contact (η_p² ≈ 0.60–0.69). Trunk lateral flexion and hip abduction decreased during unanticipated ipsilateral jumps (p ≤ 0.005; ES = 0.83–1.76) but increased during unanticipated contralateral jumps (p ≤ 0.002; ES = −0.67–[−1.74]). Additionally, the medial knee position increased in unanticipated ipsilateral jumps (p < 0.001; ES = −1.89) but decreased in unanticipated contralateral jumps (p = 0.005; ES = 0.62). Unanticipated landings increase ground contact time, promote flexed sagittal strategies and affect frontal kinematics differently influenced by the subsequent jump direction in female football players.

Women's sport has seen substantial growth in recent years, with increased attention to athlete performance and welfare. To support the ongoing professionalisation of women's rugby, performance and wellbeing must be prioritised. This study used a three-round Delphi-process to establish performance and wellbeing research priorities for Premiership Women's Rugby (PWR) in England. In Round 1, players and staff provided research priorities, which were grouped into higher-order categories and themes via content analysis. In Rounds 2 and 3, participants ranked higher-order categories on a 1–5 Likert scale. Consensus was defined as ≥ 70% agreement. Seventy-seven participants responded in Round 1 (47 and 43 in Rounds 2 and 3). Player and staff experience of playing or working in PWR was 5.0 (2.0–7.0) and 2.5 (2.0–4.0) years. Following Round 1321 research priorities were provided, 32 higher-order research priorities and 14 categories were identified, within three themes: performance, wellbeing and injury. Following Round 3, nine research priorities reached consensus within performance (n = 1), wellbeing (n = 4) and injury (n = 4). The highest rated priority was ‘Investigate the impact of being a dual-career athlete on wellbeing, and any support mechanisms required’ (79%). Future research should prioritise studies which are feasible and currently lack a comprehensive evidence-base. This will enable researchers and governing bodies to address relevant knowledge gaps and inform ongoing performance and player safety initiatives. The research priorities identified in this study, by PWR players and staff, could be investigated to support the development of women's rugby domestically. These findings may also be applicable to other women's sports and leagues globally.

The primary aim of this study was to generate sport-specific movement category velocity thresholds for elite rugby sevens male and female players. Match activity data were collected via Global Positioning Systems (GPS) (10 Hz) from 19 male and 11 female players during 88 competitive international fixtures during the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 seasons. A two-stage unsupervised clustering method was applied. The elbow method, a technique used to determine the optimal number of clusters in a dataset, was first applied to identify the number of movement categories. Spectral clustering was then used to define the velocity thresholds corresponding to each category. For both male and female rugby sevens, four movement categories were identified with varying velocity thresholds. The male movement category velocity thresholds were low (0.0–2.05 m.s⁻¹), moderate (2.06–4.26 m.s⁻¹), high (4.27–7.20 m.s⁻¹) and very high (> 7.20 m.s⁻¹). Although the female movement category velocity thresholds were low (0.0–1.87 m.s⁻¹), moderate (1.88–3.74 m.s⁻¹), high (3.75–5.97 m.s⁻¹) and very high (> 5.97 m.s⁻¹). A comparison of the total distance covered in the respective gender-specific zones revealed that females covered a significantly less distance in the low-velocity movement category (p = 0.02) and a significantly more distance in the very-high-velocity movement category (p < 0.001). This work informs customised movement categories that allow for better physical load assessments in male and female rugby sevens and the provision of sport-specific and gender-specific conditioning programmes.

Advanced footwear technologies (AFT) like carbon plates and thick, lightweight soles were developed to enhance running performance. Previous research on sole thickness focused on level running; however, downhill running, with different biomechanical demands, remains underexplored. This study investigates how running shoe sole thickness affects running style and stability during downhill running at different speeds. Seventeen experienced male runners ran at 10 and 15 km/h on a −10% slope in three shoe conditions: a traditional control shoe (CON27, 27 mm), a thinner AFT-shoe (AFT35, 35 mm), and a thicker AFT-shoe (AFT50, 50 mm). Running style was analyzed using step frequency normalized to leg length, duty factor, vertical center of mass oscillation, vertical stiffness, leg stiffness, and lower limb angles in the sagittal and frontal planes. Increased stability was assessed using both nonlinear (lower maximum Lyapunov exponent for local stability and lower detrended fluctuation analysis for global stability) and linear methods (reduced ankle eversion for ankle stability). Both AFT35 and AFT50 altered running style via changes in ankle and knee kinematics (p = 0.001) and improved global stability (p = 0.004) compared to CON27 but did not affect spatiotemporal variables or local stability. Within AFT design, AFT50 affected ankle kinematics in both the sagittal and frontal planes, with differences of up to ∼4° (p < 0.001). These effects were consistent across running speeds. In conclusion, AFT-shoes characterized with thicker soles influence joint kinematics and global stability during downhill running, whereas sole thickness within AFT designs primarily affects ankle stability and sagittal kinematics.