European journal of sport science最新文献

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.

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of sailing competition on perceived mental fatigue and physical fatigue, stress and recovery, and workload for Masters athletes, and to explore the underlying modulating factors of perceptual fatigue. Using a cross-sectional study design, 22 Masters athletes competing in the 2023 Oceania and Australian Laser Masters Championships completed a survey 48 h prior to and following the competition. The survey asked sailors to report on their perceived mental fatigue and physical fatigue (Visual Analogue Scales), stress and recovery (Short Recovery and Stress Scale), workload (NASA Task Load Index), and modulators of mental fatigue and physical fatigue. Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Tests were used to assess differences before and after the competition period. Mental fatigue and physical fatigue significantly increased due to the sailing competition, and this was accompanied by significant increases in stress and workload, and reduced recovery. Weather and complex decision making were identified as important modulators of perceptual fatigue during competition with weather having a larger influence on physical fatigue than mental fatigue. In conclusion, findings indicate a potential relationship between sailing competition and athletes perceived levels of mental and physical fatigue, and this is underpinned by changes in stress, recovery, and workload. Practitioners are encouraged to use self-report measures to monitor these mechanisms and inform the development of individualised interventions that holistically manage perceptual outcomes.

The influence of the menstrual cycle (MC) on the acute responses to endurance training remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the MC on the physiological and perceptual responses to standardized low-intenstiy continuous (LIT) and high-intensity interval sessions (HIT). Naturally menstruating endurance-trained women performed a standardized LIT (n = 23) and/or HIT (n = 23) session during the early-follicular (EFP), ovulatory (OP), and mid-luteal (MLP) phases of 2 MCs. Physiological (i.e., oxygen uptake ($$O₂), heart rate (HR), and blood lactate concentration (BLa)) and perceptual variables (i.e., rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and mood state) were measured. MC phases were determined using urinary ovulation kits and verified with serum hormone analysis. Non-eumenorrheic MCs were excluded from analysis. During LIT and HIT, ventilation (VE) was higher in MLP than OP (p < 0.001) and BLa was slightly higher in EFP than OP (LIT, p = 0.004, HIT, p = 0.001). During HIT, $$O₂ (p = 0.025) and HR (p = 0.036) were slightly higher during MLP than OP. RPE was slightly higher in EFP than OP in the LIT (p = 0.036) and HIT (p < 0.001). Vigor (p < 0.001) and tension (p = 0.036) were highest in EFP. No phase by time interactions were observed for any of the outcome variables throughout either session type (p > 0.05). MC phase had a modest effect on several physiological and perceptual measures during LIT and HIT. However, the between-phase differences were small and no clear trends emerged across variables to indicate that the overall demands of a LIT or HIT session would be substantially altered in any one particular MC phase.

This study investigated the effect of monophasic oral contraceptive (OC) use on self-paced cycling performance, thermoregulation, and skeletal muscle strength and contractile properties in healthy women. Eight physically active women performed 30 min fixed intensity cycling at 50% W_max, followed by a 30 min self-paced time trial (TT) with each section interspersed with a 30 s maximal sprint at 9, 19, and 29 min. The tests were conducted in different ambient conditions corresponding to either baseline day 1 (20°C, BASE), day 8 (20°C COOL), or day 18 (32°C WARM) of 1 month pill cycle. Core (T_c) and skin (T_sk) temperatures, heart rate, perceptual, neuromuscular responses, and serum cortisol (CORT) were measured multiple times throughout the trials and postexercise. Time trial performance remained unchanged across conditions (range 10.9–11.1 km) although T_c was elevated in WARM in the final 15 min of self-paced exercise, reaching 38.5°C (p < 0.05). CORT was increased from preexercise, whereas lactate increased in all conditions (p < 0.05). Peak force was significantly reduced from pre (439 ± 95 and 429 ± 121 N) to postexercise (345 ± 91 and 361 ± 94 N) for BASE and WARM, respectively, (p < 0.05). Twitch contractile duration declined (∼14%; p < 0.05) in all conditions along with time to peak force (∼17%, p < 0.05) in BASE and WARM. We conclude that OC use does not affect self-paced cycling performance across ambient conditions with no detrimental alteration in neuromuscular performance across the menstrual cycle.

Although osteophytes in climbers' fingers are known as part of a mechano-adaption, the progression of osteophytes and contributing factors during an advanced elite climber's career is still unknown. This study analyzes osteophyte growth over 10 years for each phalangeal head and base of all proximal and distal interphalangeal joints (PIP and DIP) individually as well as the impact of potential climbing related influencing factors. Furthermore, the osteophytes located at the palmar neck of the proximal phalanx (palmar neck osteophytes) were investigated separately and joint space narrowing was evaluated and compared with osteophyte growth. Radiographs of 31 male elite climbers were analyzed in lateral view for osteophytes and in anterior–posterior (a.p.) view for joint space at baseline and 10-year follow-up. Even after more than 2 decades of elite climbing, osteophytes grew significantly at most phalangeal heads and bases. Already severely affected joints at baseline, specifically DIP Dig III and IV of both hands, had an especially high effect size (DIP base: Dig III: left; 0.517, right; 0.355, Dig IV: left; 0.519, right; 0.555, DIP head: Dig III: left; 0.348, right; 0.591, Dig IV: left; 0.533, right; 0.408). The extent of osteophytes at baseline is highly predictive for further development (79.3%); however, no climbing-related factors were determinable for additional explanation. Palmar neck osteophytes are pathognomonic to climbing as they are most likely caused by the phalangeal base hitting this area repeatedly in a hyperflexed position. Furthermore, there is no correlation between osteophyte growth and joint space narrowing during an elite climber's career.

Instructions are a common part of training in many sports. The content of the instructions and how they are formulated is relevant for the effect on performance. For motor learning and skill development, instructions that initiate an external focus of attention are predominantly described as beneficial in the literature. We assume that an instruction-guided attentional focus causes an effect on jump performance depending on whether the instruction matches the imagery type. Twenty-nine female participants (M_age = 19.55 ± 3.01 years) with artistic gymnastics expertise (M = 11.38 ± 4.24 years) completed an online questionnaire, the Vividness of Movement Imagery Questionnaire (VMIQ-2) and performed stretched jumps with a 450° longitudinal axis (LA) turn in a laboratory setting. Crucial gymnastic-specific performance criteria such as jump height, body position and landing details were recorded and analysed. ANOVA results indicate no significant differences in performance between three instruction groups. Results of linear mixed models analyses show differences between baseline performance and the instruction phases for five variables. There seems to be a disruptive effect on performance when attention is consciously directed. The effect of an instruction-guided attentional focus on performance appears to be independent of the imagery type.

There is no empirical evidence that soft-padded headgear is protective against head injury risk in rugby. However, studies that have assessed purported protective effects have not accounted for rates of contact. The aim of this study was to compare head injury rates while considering tackle-event exposure in players with and without headgear. In the 2018 and 2019 professional men's SuperRugby season, video analysts recorded headgear use, playing position, match time and head injury assessments (proxy for head injury risk) for each player. Tackle-event involvements for each player were obtained from third-party video analysis provider. Tackle-related head injury rates were calculated per 1000 h (incidence) and per 1000 tackle-events (propensity), and compared between headgear and non-headgear wearers using incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% confidence intervals and Poisson regression models. Players wearing headgear were involved in more tackles per match than players without headgear (IRR 1.07, 95% CI 1.05–1.09). Head injury incidence (IRR: 1.78 95% CI: 1.11–2.70) and propensity (IRR: 1.66 95% CI: 1.04–2.52) were higher in players wearing headgear. However, statistical models found no difference in this risk between positional groups. A lack of protective effect is consistent with previous studies and could be explained by World Rugby's headgear design regulations while increased risk may be a result of greater injury susceptibility. As World Rugby's headgear regulations change and further advancements in headgear is made, it is important to continue to examine their effect on head injury risk at an individual level.